Just Another Cup of Coffee (Terrance)

[Zachary LaRousse]

It was never really in Zac’s nature to seek people out. Not that the self-proclaimed Prince is lacking in social skills or anything – while he would never be Mr. Sunshine, he definitely isn’t Mr. Loner-Antisocial either – it’s just that he’s got an ego that’s too darn big, even for his own good. Rich spoiled brat to the core, young LaRousse grew up thinking that the universe would fall into pieces without him. Aside from believing himself to be the core of reality, he also believes that most people, if not all, are below him. Thus they should be the one seeking him out and not the other way around. Because to seek them out is to acknowledge that they are equals or even better than him, and better than him they just can’t be.

Which is why seeing the pompous brat outside Kali’s one fine afternoon is such a rare feat. At first glance, you’d think that the boy just wanted a break from the not-so-exciting routines of school and decided to catch a cup of coffee in the renowned café. Upon further inspection though, you’d see a hint of irritated impatience along the lines of his face. Also, his not-so-rhythmic tapping of his fingers and feet, as well his more-than-occasional glance on his wristwatch are telltale signs of the real reason of his visit. The boy’s apparently waiting for someone, and as seen in his mood, is slowly having doubts about such someone’s arrival.

Not unlike what had happened between him and Jinahi before, Zac has invited a certain new transferee from Kocher (Of course it had to be from Kocher. Why can’t they be from Eisai? Or that Russian Institute for that matter? the boy thought when he first heard about him) for a ‘friendly’ cup of coffee. (He did not creep into the boy’s room this time, however; he met with the boy just a few hours earlier, told him he’d be happy to show him the ropes but he had to go to class, so instead offered a friendly chat after school). While he did not encounter an overenthusiastic blonde this time, stories about the ‘European’ boy being so ‘cool’ and ‘suave’ have been ringing in his ears for so long that he decided to take action. He doesn’t take threats to his perceived throne too lightly after all.

“Where is he?” the boy grumbled as he took another sip from his cup, “He’d better not get any wise ideas. No he shouldn’t.” He wasn’t really planning on being hostile, but if the boy decides to ditch him, well, it wouldn’t be pretty.

ooc:
Bambadabaaam! Haha. I am so so sorry for the lateness. And crappiness. Pokemanz distracted me. Heehee. -ninjaliiicks the Chaos-
- Jam

[Terrance Asher]

Terrance held the pen between his fingers twirling it occasionally. He had no interest in the class. The teacher did not help either with his less than enthusiastic monotone voice. The teenage boy was about ready to shoot him self if the topic of star-crossed lovers in Romeo and Juliet and how it could be related Twilight was brought up once again. It seemed to be the only thing the fan girls in the class could relate the play to. Which in many ways did not surprise him they couldn't possibly relate it to any experience in life due to the fact that they never would have boyfriends. If this hadn’t been a required class for everyone in the school to take the class Terr would have never taken it. Actually if there hadn’t been any requirements other then those required for his major the brunette would have been happy. Fewer classes meant less work.

His eyes glanced up at the clock. Thirty more second until the class would end. Twenty. Ten. Three. Two. One. Without delay the brown haired boy closed his binder, grabbed all his things, and threw them into his bag. Ter was out the door in a heartbeat. He was actually surprise he managed to stay awake in class today, grated he had not paid an ounce of attention to the discussion, but still it was a feat he usually found hard to accomplish. Thank god that had been his last class of the day.

He made his way out of the building and was ready go back to his room to crash on his bed. However half way back he realized that he was supposed to meet someone. Some kid named Zac La-something-or-another. Letting out a sigh he ended up running up to only drop things off his in his room before running back out again. He didn’t even know why he was meeting this guy. It would probably add up to be another waste of his time.

As he approached the Khali’s Kafe, he saw the shorter boy standing outside with a pissed look on his face. The guy couldn’t seem to stand still and kept looking at his watch. Terr ended up pulling out his cellphone and glancing at the time himself. He was only about six minutes late. Shaking his head at the impatience of the person he was about to meet. He had a feeling this might turn out to be quiet annoying chat, and people that wasted his time like that were usually people that permanently stayed on his dislike list. Few had done much to change his mind after words since he was after all stubborn. Trying to convince him otherwise of things was an impossible task.

“And why shouldn’t I?” Terrance questioned as he approached. “I should think my thoughts are my own and I have the right to come up with whatever I want to in my own mind, be they wise or not.” Then there was the fact that he was a smartass, which was a totally different story and part of his personality.

“How about we go inside so I can order something, then we can have a seat and get straight to the point of why you wanted to see me.” He didn’t care that his bluntness could be taken as rude. He just much rather get done what he had to, to be able to utilize the rest of his time on other things.

The brown haired boy entered Kali’s before even receiving an answer to order himself something to drink and a table. Along with that coffee he got himself vanilla ice cream, which most would find to be a weird combination but not to Terr. The bitterness of the coffee and sweetness of the ice cream was just the most perfect thing. You could see his eyes light up when he got what he had wanted.

[/size]



Notes ;; Kind of bad, but I didn’t know what to write. Hope you can work with it. It’s really just a bunch of nothingness thrown in together. XD

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac was just about to grab his stuff and leave – as he’s already waited for a good five or so minutes, which in his book, is rather long enough – when he heard a strange but seemingly familiar voice resound from behind him. This ‘surprise’, combined with the rather bitter and snarky tone of the said remark, almost made him drop his cup while simultaneously spitting his drink on the pavement. While he did catch himself before he made any mess of sorts, the liquid recoil did leave a slight burn sting in his mouth. Not good.

After gulping a little too forcefully in an effort to take the scalding fluid off his mouth (turning a little too red in the process), the young boy finally got his composure back and slowly started formulating his response. While he was somehow warned about the boy being a snob (which, according to the stories he’s heard, is part of the teen’s so-called ‘bad boy’ appeal), he never expected him to be this much of a smartass. Guess he’s got his work cut out for him already. “Well, I’m sure most out-of-control and nosy telepaths would argue otherwise,” he said with a smirk, “And who knows, I might be one or the other.” It’s not much, but he feels that Terrance’s a little too ignorant about his powers to know if Zac might be bluffing or not. He promptly crossed his legs, trying to look all high and mighty once more. It’s clear from the boy’s reply that he already saw Zac’s impatience and irritation; he needed a drastic change in disposition should he want regain control over the overall conversation flow once more.

He was just about to flash a not-so-sincere smile when the older boy spoke again, this time saying something about quickly getting their conversation over with. The desire to frown and talk back was too strong that it took a bit more than usual to stop himself from losing himself. Truly this boy was testing him. First arriving a little too late, then smartass-ing him the moment he arrives and now he’s being all hoity toity about stuff? All the more reason to tell him where his place was in the grand scheme of things.

“Sheesh dude. What’s with all the grouchy-ness and negativity? You know you’ll look old much faster if you keep that up right?” teased Zac, forcing a chuckle out as he promptly stood up and walked behind the boy, putting his hands on Terrance’s left shoulder as if they’re already close friends. “And don’t worry about anything. It’s on me. Since I was the one who invited you and all anyway.” It’s not really that much of a grand gesture, but the boy hopes it would be the start of his ‘showcase’ in an effort to show the Snob where he places in Zac’s universe.

“Just a half-caf/decaf peaberry nonfat latte, not too much foam, light cinnamon and a shot of butterscotch for me,” he asked warmly as Terrance left and took his order, “And could you add a couple of your freshly baked chocolate chips cookies on the side too?”

After paying for their drinks and casually flirting with the cashier with a series of suggestive stares and winks, the Prince promptly followed his guest to the table he chose and tried to settle himself in. “Ok, so we may have gotten off on the wrong foot earlier. I’m sorry,” he muttered as he placed the tray on the table. Though his features have gone soft, should one look further, one could easily see the insincerity in the Prince’s apology. If anything, he’s just saying such things to at least postpone the inevitable clash. He’s got a feeling that no matter what he does, he and Terrance will clash anyway, so might as well know everything he can before that happens. “I’m Zachary LaRousse. But you can call me Zac. Terrance Asher right? I do hope you don’t feel weird or anything about all this stuff. I mean, I just thought since you’re new and all, that you might need a friendly hand or something. Because rabid fangirls rarely tell you the whole truth.” He added another light chuckle after his last sentence, hoping it would tell the other boy that it was supposed to be a joke.

“So, how has Hammel treating you so far?” Zac asked as he took a bite off his cookie. A very cliché question, but also a rather safe one.

ooc:
Jammy feels bad for not giving Chaos much. I am sorry for earlier. D;.
- Jam

[Terrance Asher]

“I’m not being grouchy or negative,” Terr replied honestly. “I’m just stating a fact that might possibly be what you are thinking based on what how impatience you seemed to be a second ago.”

Terrance just shrugged at Zac’s offer to pay. Hey if the guy wanted to pay Terr wasn’t going to stop him. It just meant an extra few bucks in his own pocket, not that he really cared about that he had more than enough money.

A bite of vanilla and then a sip of coffee. That was the perfect combination to make Terr a happy boy. And when he was happy his arrogance died down just a little. He was still a smart-ass and placed himself on a tall pedestal, just one that wasn’t so high up. It was a personality trait that developed in him more when he was in Europe than anything. A lot of the kids in the Swiss school had come from money and were much worse then he was. If you did not fit in with the crowd forget it, your life there was usually hell. Or at least that was Terrance’s experience. That could have just been because of the type of people he attracted; money did attract money after all.

His brown eyes looked up to watch as the other boy took his seat. The older boy’s head just bobbed up and down in agreement with the younger spoon full of ice cream in his mouth. Right now the older teen did not care if he came across childish; he was enjoying his drink and dessert. Anyone observing the boys acting would think he was Bipolar or something changing his demeanor so quickly, but it was more of a matter of not knowing him.

“Yeah,” Terrance stated. “I guess word gets around fast about who I am.” A smile formed on his lips. Even with his current childish behave you could notice his arrogance seeping through if you paid close attention. “But, the rabid fangirls are the ones that are the followers of royalty, so you do have to pretend to believe them every now and again. Noblesse oblige, the duty of nobility to be honorable and generous and that can be dealt with in many ways.”

The French words had slipped from his lips like any native speaker from the country, for his mother had taught him the language well. The arrogant boy could already see the one or two female employees working their shift were watching him more carefully. They were eating up his simple words, dreamy eyed at the silkiness of his voice as he spoke them. He flashed them a smile to let them that he noticed them, causing them both to look away embarrassed. Their knees would probably go weak if actually said something in French directed at them.

His attention turned back to Zac when he realized he was being asked a question. “Pretty well actually, I think Hammel gives a much warmer welcome to transfers then Kocher did to new students.” Terr paused in thought before he asked a question of his own. “So, seeing as you have heard a bit about me, obviously, being knew I haven’t really heard much about anyone else here yet. Who are you in the school exactly, and don’t pull a smart-ass move like I would and say a student.”

Notes ;; Nah, it was all good. Your posts are better than mine. Mine are the bad ones.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac didn’t even bother hiding the slightly amused smirk that creeped up on his face at the sight of the other’s change in demeanor. While he doesn’t really care at the simple ticks and irks people have on a daily basis – which makes him come off as either a little dense or just a tad too cold – he does have those rare moments when he’s a little more receptive than normal. These moments are nothing to be happy about however; he’s usually a little more sensitive due to the fact that he’s trying to read the other person carefully, taking small mental notes about his companion in an effort to manipulate them perfectly, or in Terrance’s case, know if he’s friend of foe. “They say music can calm even the fiercest beast,” he spoke up all of a sudden, a smudge of arrogance evident in his stare, “But it seems vanilla ice cream can also do the trick.” He sent a wink towards Terrance, and should he get any other ideas, quickly added, “Guess I should bring a gallon of vanilla ice cream with me whenever my girlfriend’s going through her period.” Though the chances of L.C. being appeased by a simple cup of ice cream is slim (and she’s not even his girlfriend. Yet).

He slowly sipped his drink as Terrance began speaking. Even in his words Zac could taste the arrogance and pride. And as a spoiled brat used to have the world revolving around him (read: the only arrogant and proud one among the bunch), it tasted extremely bitter. It also didn’t help that he caught Terrance mildly flirting with the ladies around them and that he spoke in perfect French. He knew he should’ve listened to Cedric when the man suggested he take a foreign language class when he was nine.

Crossing his legs as he put his cup down, the Prince let a soft sigh – which can be interpreted as either one of relief or irritation – before answering. “I never knew such rules existed,” he chuckled slightly, his chin head high,

[/b]“I mean, I usually treat them as crap and they still follow me like loyal dogs. Amusing really.”[/b] A slight exaggeration, as he usually cares about how his ‘followers’ might feel just in case they decide he’s not worthy of their ‘worship’ anymore, but then again it’s as if Terrance would know that he’s bluffing. “And know much about you? Hardly.” He shook his head as he sent a dismissive wave towards Terrance. While he did know a bit more than usual (he did his research beforehand now, unlike that time with Jinahi), he didn’t need to tell Terrance that. No need to inflate the already humongous ego of his companion (or at least by his standards). “I mean, I only know that you’re Terrance Asher and you’ve been here like, two or three weeks? Or has it been a month or two already?” He let out a forced laugh, as if he’s amused by his own forgetfulness. Guess those drama classes with Mr. Bond are really paying off. “I don’t even know your powers, much less why you transferred from Hammel’s closest cousin. I mean, Kocher’s supposed to be much more beautiful than Hammel right?”

A warm welcome? Darn these people and their standards really, he thought. “Me? Well, I’m just a humble student,” he winked, stressing the word ‘humble’ for effect, “I’m also part of the Student Council, so you can say it’s kind of my calling to help those newcomers settle in school.” No need to let his credentials all out in one go, right?[/font][/justify][/blockquote]
ooc:
Late. Heehee. -shoots himself-
- Jam

[Terrance Asher]

Terrance gave a small laugh to the younger boy’s statement. Oh how wrong he was. Ice cream was only one of the many things that he enjoyed indulging in. It was not the music that calmed the beast, it was only one that gave the appearance it did, but underneath the beast still paid attention to what was going on. And Terrance was just that type of beast. Being part of the rich crowd was not as easy as everyone made it out to be. Rich kids all had a few things in common; they were ambition—wanting to be the one everyone followed, they were backstabbers, and they love making others suffer at their own expense. If one did not learn the ins and outs of the game, one was simply out of the game. The out was usually a very long fall from the top, one that was not cushioned by a mattress at the bottom with someone waiting to help you back up. Usually it entailed getting hurt, coming out with gashes and bruises. The blue eyed boy had after seen it happen when he came into the popular circle at Kocher. He had to take out on of the weaker in the circle to obtain his spot, for he had grow to use to being in the spot light before he left to have not had the drive to be known and hold power in the European school when he first came there. “Not the best idea. I would think she would yell at you and say something a long the lines of trying to make her fat, though I don’t know your girls so I can’t really say with her.”

An eyebrow was raised at Zac’s statement. “Well, I guess you have the true idiots following you or they are playing you the fool. People usually don’t like being treated like crap, at least not all the time. Or else you know next thing they will be saying is viva la revolucion soon.”

It was a true fact. Terrance knew better than to treat them like that. You could have a few that were almost always being targeted, but everyone else had to feel like they were safe. May people have lost their followers to Terrance for just that reason; they did not know how to treat those who followed them.

He was a bit skeptical about he was being told. Zac did not come across as the type to seek others out to just welcome them. From the moment he meant the kid, Zac came across as one of many people he had known all his life, a spoil brat. How could Terrance miss his own kind that was like not being able to tell that your face was yours when you looked into a mirror. “Why I transferred to Hammel is simple,” he paused and took a sip from his cooling drink. “I was getting a little sick of Europe, wanted a change in atmosphere, beside I kind of missed being close to home.” There was some truth to that. He had been away from home so long it was starting to feel foreign to him, and Terr did not like that. His other reason for coming back had been to prove to his mother that she could not just push him away and not deal with him, along with the fact she no longer had control over his actions.

The brown haired boy shook his head. “I rather not lay all my weapons on the table before you lay out yours. One doesn’t offer someone a peaceful talk, asking the other side to give up all their protection without first showing that they have given up their own.” He held a sly smirk on his face, tempting Zac to tell him any secrets that could be used by Terr in return of finding out Terrance’s own secrets. The game they played was one for minor power over those that would throw themselves at the two’s feet. It could turn out to be a fun game to play too no matter if the outcome turned the two into friends or enemies.

Notes ;; I think they should be frienemies. They would make perfect partners in such arrogant egotistical crime. Hehe.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Contrary to popular opinion (or at least according to some idle gossip that Zac has yet to muster enough interest to silence and stop), the Prince wasn’t much of a jackass extraordinaire when he entered Hammel four years ago. Granted he had the makings of one when he first came (he did study in an elite private school somewhere in the UK prior to entering the said Institution), a combination of his guardians’ constant reminders and his own innocence and naïveté (he was just thirteen after all) somehow stifled his progress. He was just your everyday spoiled brat back then, perhaps with only a bit more spunk.

As it was, one could actually say that it was in Hammel that Zac’s egotism inflated into unimaginable proportions, his vanity and narcissism blooming fully along the Institute grounds. While the “clique movement” isn’t as large nor as widespread as it was in Kocher (or at least according to the things he’s been hearing these past few months), the boy could say that it was just as vicious, if not even more. Maybe it was because of the fact that there were only quite a handful of them vying – and actually viable – for that top spot that the rivalries were a lot more intense than they should’ve been. The Asian teen actually had it a bit harder back then, as he was a freshman going against all these juniors and seniors, as well as an overbearing extended clan-family that wanted their heir to be a model of perfection.

The path for recognition was long fought, and while he did manage to emerge on top, he didn’t do so unscathed. Though he tried his best to stay ‘clean’ (at least in respect to his late mother’s wishes, values and all that), he wouldn’t deny the fact that he did try some dirty trick here and some below-the-belt blow there from time to time. At least he’s got the school mostly for himself now, as most of them had graduated already and he’s managed to stifle out the possible competition early on. Well, most of them that is.

“N’aww. L.C.’s different. And I don’t think she can actually grow fat. Something about her body’s weird chemistry and all that.” He chuckled for a bit as he thought about the words he just said. While he doesn’t feel awkward talking about L.C. like they’ve been together for years, the fact that they weren’t together just yet and she could randomly pop into this conversation and spike him for telling people they’re already going out somehow makes him a bit queasy. He’s already been spiked once, he’d rather not feel that iron thorn in him again. “She’s a living porcupine you know. Much like Wolverine, only much deadlier. And she doesn’t beep in airport checks.”

Zac’s eyebrows met slightly as Terrance used some foreign words around him once more. Granted they weren’t as obscure as the ones he used previously, but there’s something about the way he uses it that makes Zac’s blood boil. It’s as if he’s mocking him or something. “Viva la revolucion? When are we, the 1800s?” he said with a mocking laugh, “They’re not that smart you know. And besides, there’s just something about the way I smile that makes them so addicted.” He added another laugh to make it seem like the last part’s a joke, but one could easily taste the subtle arrogance in his tone.

“Well the school in Russia seemed to be the closer you know. No need to cross a freaking ocean at that,” he stated blankly, “Or maybe even Eisai. Asians are more exotic than Caucasians you know.” He raised and lowered his eyebrows playfully as he sent Terrance a suggestive stare. He does want to clarify however, that he isn’t interested in the Terrence yet. While he has been experimenting with a lot of people lately, he’s told himself that experiments with the Snob would end in utter disaster. He’s just trying to ruffle the boy’s feathers and see if he can use such techniques against him, that’s all.

“Touché,” he nodded as he took another sip off his drink. So the boy’s receptive. Even more proof that he’s dangerous. “Fine. I’ll spill. So what do you want to know exactly? Though keep in mind that I’d want to be indulged too. It’s not fair if only one of us is having fun.”

Something tells him this is going to be one exciting afternoon.

ooc:
Jammy agrees. Zac, not so much. LOL.
And Jammy says the crackship was yummy, just saying. HEEEHEEE.
- Jam

[Terrance Asher]

“Not a very flattering to describe a girl you know.” Terrance shook his head as he spoke. “But, she must be a feisty on if you think she is deadlier than a superhero.” He knew full well how that statement sounded. Terr was teasing for he wanted to know what buttons he could and could not push. The more buttons that he could push the better; it would just help him so much more later on.

Still, the conversation was barely keeping the older boy’s interest. Usually when he felt that a conversation was not entertaining his attention was taken over by something else quickly. He rarely was able to fringe interest in something that he had no interest in. If he did it took all his will power to not to become directed. This quickly dying conversation in Terrance’s opinion was an exception to the rule. The only thing keeping him from putting all his focus on the ice cream at this point was his curiosity for what the one sitting in front of him had up his sleeves.

Knowing the players of a game was what kept you a live. It allowed you to build strategy, set up your defenses and offenses. It also made it possible to seek and find allies. Though doing well for being new, he was looking for his set of allies knowing full well their importance. In a game of war no one ever won without an ally. The Patriots in the American Revolution had the French backing them. If wasn’t for that this country would most likely still be under British rule and everyone would be speaking with English accents. Though their personalities might clash Terrance thought he could possibly use Zac as an alley. The younger boy seemed sure of his power and all his followers and with someone like that on his side it would mean Terrance could win for sure. While dealing with all the other players, Terr knew he could convert the younger’s followers over to his own and win the war. It was a simple plan but one that would work none the less if he made all the right moves in the right order. So, in Terrance’s mind he would make his enemy his friend. They would be for a lack of a better term, frienemies.

“Glad to see that you know your history,” the poison of his sarcasm dripped off his words. He was mentally glaring at the younger brunette, one for killing the French and two for disrespect towards his use of French. “But, I think you were just a little late with you dates. The French Revolution was the late 1700s. It finished right before the start of the 1800s.” That was one of the few thing Terrance actually remembered from school. He was not the best student, there was, more or less because he was lazy. He always applied himself to things that would have been less important to the ‘A’ students, like this little power war. So when he had a chance to pretend to be a know it all he took it. It just made him all the more charming to the girls. Not ever female wanted all bronze and no brains. Though he did have to be careful to not make himself look a fool, so he always stayed away from topics he did not remember well from school, like anything that had to do with the books they were supposed to have read over the years in English class.

“Do we see me as a true threat, questioning why I did not go somewhere else for school? I did say I wanted to be closer to home, and home is Cali after all. Why ever would I go even further away? And by the way parts of Russia, including where Odarennyĭ is located, is in Europe still.” He was just one to make snide comments today. Terrance knew this wouldn’t help him make “friends” but he just couldn’t help it. “And if you are throwing yourself into the mix of exotic people, I’m sorry I’ve been better looking Asian guys that I would take before you, if I went that way that is.” He made sure he emphasized his last few words so Zac wouldn’t get the wrong idea. He might have had those feelings for his childhood friend, but it was only Ryne that he had those types of feelings for. Anyone else of the same gender never appealed to him in that way.

A smug look appeared on his face. “You know just the basics. What your powers are. What your plans for powers are.” A small laugh escaped his lips, to show that he was joking. Well only half joking anyways. If Zac was stupid enough, not that he seem like he was, to tell him he was not going to be the one to tell the boy to shut up. “If you would like a little ally in this game. But, if you show me yours I will definitely show you mine.”

Notes ;; Glad you liked it. Hehe. But, sorry for this posties. My muse ran away again when Skye went and said something that brought out my slash muse. I think my RP muse is just ever so slightly scared of my slash muse. XD Actually I think the slash muse tried to take over this post towards the end. Hehe.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Unfortunately for Terrance, if he’s looking at L.C. as possible leverage against Zac, then he’s at a loss. Aside from the fact that the two are far from being in what people may call “a stable relationship” (they’re still figuring things out; and the fact that both of them are rather tightlipped about how they feel about each other whenever they’re together isn’t really helping their case one bit), L.C. can handle herself fairly well, even on her own. In fact, Zac’s rather scared of L.C. when they first met (her control over such a lethal power and her ruthlessness with it, especially around Verax, is just frightening) and is still on working on being comfortable around those iron spikes. (he wouldn’t admit those out loud though). “Nah, L.C.’s cool with it. In fact, she likes being called fierce and scary,” he shrugged, taking a small bite off one of his cookies, “Something about her image and all that. I’m sure you know how important image and reputation is to a person, right?”

While normally Zac would be insulted should he hear that his companion’s getting bored of him, in this case, he rather likes it. In his opinion, when a person gets bored, they’re less likely to be cautious of what they say (which makes this whole button-searching a whole lot easier) and they’re also a lot less conscious of what he may say. A win-win situation for Zac really. However, the way things are looking, this face off will be a rather long one. Especially since both boys seem to be employing the same tactics – teasingly slow in revealing the aces up their sleeves while prodding the other side into revealing theirs with bluffs and sarcasm. Classy really.

Unlike Terrance however, Zac hasn’t had a plan about what he might do with the teen. Though it seems like he’s already made progress with his initial dilemma, he’s still very much lost about how he wants Terrance to be. While he isn’t one to make allies too easily, making this smartass boy his enemy would probably be quite the mistake. He could already taste the scheming nature of this teen, and though he wouldn’t admit it, it scares him. It’s probably better to let Terrance have the illusion of being ‘friends’; that way he could monitor the boy more closely (better start asking Reeve, and to an extent, probably Mia, to start tapping on the boy’s systems). As much as Zac wants to stay away from the cliché, it seems he has no choice; he has to keep this particular enemy much much closer.

“So you’re a history geek? Nice. Mr. Tonaya would love you for that.” Zac tried his very best not to roll his eyes. He wouldn’t deny that History’s one of the subjects he hates the most (barely landing an A- last term) but he still hates being corrected. And the fact that it was Terrance who chastised him – complete with the jackass tone and confident face – made the correction even worse. “I’ve never been much into those kinds of stuff. The arts and humanities are pretty much abstract to me anyway. Think I can leech off you when the end-of-term project comes?” He tried making a cutesy-pleading face, but given the current air around them, it just seemed rather out of place.

Oh. The kid catches up fast. As expected. While Terrance’s blunt question did catch him a bit off guard, the Asian teen quickly recovered, his face trying to show as little emotion as possible. “Hey, don’t be offended dude, I was simply trying to say that, well, some options are more viable than others. And Odarennyĭ is in the Europe part of Russia? I didn’t know. My bad.” That’s twice (in a row, I might add) that Terrance has admonished him. Seems he has to be more careful with what he says then. “Oh really? You don’t swing that way? Then the rumors have been deceiving me for a while already. Tsk tsk. I’m sorry.” Not that he’s heard anything about Terrance’s orientation and all that, but hey, that might rile something up. And at least now he knows his perceived “charms” wouldn’t be of much help in this particular endeavor.

Zac chuckled in his cup as Terrance spoke. While he wasn’t really planning on telling much about himself, it’s a little price to pay if it meant that the older boy would finally be revealing something about himself. “Well, aside from having the power to make most people’s pants tighten up,” he said, standing up and leaning forward to whisper at Terrance, looking from side to side as if he’s rather concerned about people overhearing, “I have super strength and limited invulnerability.” It wasn’t the total truth, but it wasn’t exactly a lie either. Thank God for multiple manifestations of his power really. “And as for my plans, well, I don’t have any really. I don’t think my power would be as useful for my dad’s company as his powers are currently.” Careful Zac, careful.

“How about you lover boy? Able to read my mind or something?” He seriously hopes Terrance isn’t a telepath. He’d be screwed if that happens.

ooc:
The slash!muse should forever be encouraged. -nekkid dance for the slash!muse- XD
- Jam

[Terrance Asher]

That approach definitely did not work. It would have made his just a little more fun if the younger brunette had taken offence to the comment he made about the girl L.C., but he had not.

"I do know. Your image and reputation is what carried you up the ladder after all. Damage to either and you’re a goner. And it won't be a fun fall from that ladder the high up you are either." Today was just a weird day for Terr. He was making analogies right and left. It had to be because of that stupid class he had right before coming here. Really it had been how long since class had ended his brain should have been turned off from school mode long ago. All his English teachers and professor would be proud to see him applying something he learned in their classes, if not for what he was using the analogies to refer to.

Terrance just ignored Zac’s comment about History class. He was a freshman in college and a business major, history class was one thing he would make sure he put off for a very long time. It was after all only a one of his required classes for the school that had nothing to do with his major. And being not so good at the subject, though his smart comments told people otherwise, wish he did not have to take it like the other liberal arts classes. He actually did not know why he was in that hated English class right now. He should have put it off until the end like he was doing with the History class, but he could not do much about it now. Besides he knew he needed to at least pay some small amount of attention to the brunette in front of him. He gave a mocking laugh at the idea of him helping the younger teen with school projects.

An eyebrow was raised at the mention of the supposed rumors. If anyone had said anything Terrance would think he would have heard about it. He had learned in all his eighteen years that people were just not good at keeping secrets. Such a thing was not a part of human nature. Humans were social creatures that found enjoyment in the destruction of others. “Really now? What have they been saying? I really want to know what kind of crap they can come up with.”

Terrance’s head shook at the ridiculous comment made by Zac. He took everything that the younger boy said with a grain of salt. He did not know Zac well enough to tell if he was lying or not. People were easy to read, but not always, not when they were this good at the games they played.

“Me? I just tend to get out of fights unscathed.” Which was not a total lie. Most people were never able to touch him because he already used his powers on them. And when he inflicted injuries on those he saw to be a threat he tried to make sure they were down for the count. Though there had been quite a few times when they landed the first blow before he could concentrate enough to hurt them in anyways. Those times more often than not were the physical ones where punches were thrown blow for blow.

At the mention of the word dad and company the Asher boy ran through his mind what he could possibly mean. That was a card that Terrance knew for a fact probably was not a bluff. His father’s company had to hold some significant power for Zac to have mentioned it. Not remember anything at that moment he filed the thought to the back of his mind, making a mental note to do his research later.

Notes ;; Sorry for the lack of anything to work with. We know my situation; my muse ran way.

[Zachary LaRousse]

“Oh wow. Such sagely advice from the expert. I guess I should be thankful, shouldn’t I?” teased the teen from behind his cup as he took another sip off his drink. Though he’s smiling rather widely and his words a bit warmer than usual, the sarcasm behind his statement still manages to seep through. He’s spent the past four or so years of his life honing his skills to stay on top, of course he’d know something as rudimentary as that. He could still remember how careful he was with everything during his first months in Hammel, how he made sure only the goodbeneficial stories around him circulated, and even perpetrated some rumors about himself in order to build his dream image of a ‘bad boy stud’ (Zac claims it worked, but then again, he’s rather biased about himself). And they say he’s just some egotistic spoiled brat. “Is that how you managed to make Kocher eat from the palm of your hand Terrance?” he added, his question sounding a bit too bold than what he had in his mind, “Don’t expect it to be as easy though. You’ll find out that though Hammel may be a bit friendlier, it doesn’t mean it can be bent easily to just about anyone’s will.” Not when I’m around, he thought, but he decided not to add it in. No need to make his statement sound more aggressive than it already is. As he’s said before, he doesn’t want to make an enemy of Terrance, not this early anyway.

Should Zac know that Terrance isn’t exactly paying him much attention than what he should have, heaven knows what he would’ve done already. While he doesn’t take being ignored too lightly, he also has a vague idea of how much damage Terrance is capable of, both in terms of his powers, his innate skill and hold of the general Hammel population (as much as he’d like to deny it, Terrance has already made his move on his ‘kingdom’ – not good), which means he can’t be too rash. Thank goodness the older boy let out a hearty laugh though – it prevented Zac from discovering Terrance’s boredom for him.

“I’ll take that as a no then? Rats. Now I’m back to square one for History. You sure you couldn’t spare some time for little old me?” Group study and anything similar has always led to rather “odd” situations with Zac. His group work with Ann, for example, led to him being sucker punched to the wall by the reclusive empath and him developing an unhealthy fascination for the poor girl. Fast forward a few months later and a History project led to Logan’s cherry being popped by yours truly. While he doesn’t think a meeting with Terrance would turn into something as exciting as his previous ‘study’ encounters, he does think it’ll help him know the boy a bit more. He has a feeling the boy’s hiding more things than what he’s letting on really.

Oh, it seems that his little lie had struck a nerve. Time to prod a bit more then. “Oh, don’t bother. It’s not true anyway. It’s a waste of time,” he said dismissively, waving his hands in front of him. While it wasn’t true that rumors have milled around the boy, Zac did saw something a few days ago as he was walking around school grounds that fueled such an accusation. “They said something about seeing you canoodling with a certain blonde. Everett Caliban, I think? Though since you said it yourself that it isn’t true, let’s not bother with it, right?” he added, trying to sound a bit unsure and reluctant, though he’s really itching to see how Terrance would react. While he didn’t stay long enough to see how it ended, he’s encountered the blonde enough to know how the boy sways (their locker room meeting was enough to tell Zac most everything he wants to know). “There’s nothing between you and Evie, right Terrance?”

“You tend to get into fights a lot? And I thought Kocher kids were more prim and proper,” he chuckled. He was rather disappointed with the other boy’s answer though; it was too general and had more than one interpretation. Guess he just has to figure out ways to make the boy spill the beans.

[Terrance Asher]

“Oh I think you should.” Terrance had decided to be a tease back. Maybe then this conversation would keep his attention much better. “And part of how I had them eating out of my hand. I had to push a couple of people off the ladder, but it wasn’t too hard. They were never that careful about how they were claiming up anyways." He raise an eyebrow at the presumptuous statement. Who did the younger boy think he is, won’t be as easily bent. Pffft, Terr wanted to laugh out loud to that. Really who in this place would stop him from coming into power, certainly not this kid in front of him. No, Terrance had his plans and he knew he was going to win; because frankly losing was not a word he was use to or knew the definition to and he was not about to learn it now. “Oh is that so, well I do like a challenge. Though we will have to see how challenging it is here compared to Europe then don’t we.” He knew that this was practically a statement of the challenge for power. Most would be scared to say such things, but to Terrance this was nothing. He wanted to make it “known” what he was doing. That usually let the enemy fall into a false sense of security that he felt too comfortable with the fact that he was going to win and would easily be defeated.

“Nope.” There was no way he was going to let on he did not know much about history as he pretended too. That was one thing he never made other people figure out, how he faked his smarts, pretending to know it only but really only knowing basics and a few things really well. “I don’t like history as much. Ever need help in economics or something to do with business and I can help you with that.” His offer to help was just out of courtesy. Inside he was praying that he would never be called upon by Zac to help the brat with anything.

Terrance felt like his breath was caught in his throat. Someone had seen them together. Terrance was sure they had been along. No one had been there. If rumors started that the two of them were together or Terrance swung the other way he could probably kiss both his image and reputation goodbye. His work to build it up the last few years would have been all for nothing. “Of course there is nothing going on between us.” Terrance was trying to play it off, hopefully he gave nothing away. This was one subject that was too new for him to actually know how to approach it properly without giving himself away. Everything that had happened, the reconnection between Ry and him, had not happened that long ago and they had just redefined what things were between them after all. “Whoever saying they saw something must have seen wrong and misinterpreted the situation.”

“Now I never said I got into a lot of fighters at Kocher. I just said I had a tendency to make it out of my fights without a mark, for the most part. But, we did have enough fighters there for people to know better than to pick a fight with me or those who backed me there.” He knew he was being general and it was probably frustrating the brunette in front of him. Terrance had agreed to tell, but he never said anything about be specific about the topics he spoke of. He much rather have Zac be careful around him for as long as possible, so the younger boy would not have another card in his hand on Terrance to set down to play.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac’s eyebrow instinctively went up when Terrance started his spill about getting power. It wasn’t that it was something new – he’s heard it all before and, to an extent, even said those words to someone else before – but more because as it seems, the boy has the guts to tell that straight to his face. He didn’t know if the boy is just dense or what, but as far as the pompous Prince is concerned, he’s made his point since the beginning that he’s the top dog around these parts (or at least he thinks he is). The fact that Terrance isn’t so subtle about telling Zac that he’ll challenge him sooner or later, and that he’s confident that he can topple Zac, is just so…surprising. Usually when Zac says the stuff he had earlier, people back down, or at least try to divert the conversation. But not this guy. If only he wasn’t too much of a threat, Zac would’ve liked Terrance (not in that way, but something along the lines of being a friend and a buddy, most probably). “Interesting. I can’t say I’ve heard that one before,” he said, pinching a piece off his cookie and offering some to the other boy, “Cookie?”

“You make it sound like Kocher’s a really nice place,” he added sarcastically, leaning back as he put his drink down, his legs crossed and his elbow firmly on the table, “Now you’re making me be a bit frustrated at my dad’s insistence that I be schooled in Hammel. Screw tradition really.” Zac’s powers manifested when he was still living in England, and while it would’ve been convenient for them during those days that Zac be in Kocher, his father (along with his aunts and uncles) insisted the boy go to Hammel; they say that the LaRousses have always been present in Hammel since its founding, and so Zac must be sent there too. In Zac’s ears, they were translated as ‘Tradition, blah blah, tradition’. While he loved his dad, he never really liked the orthodoxy of his relatives. “You think I’d fit nicely in there?”

Since he finally confirmed that the boy was indeed a threat and all that, he could finally focus on what most may call ‘phase-two’ of his fancy little recon mission – the ‘dirt’ gathering. While he could easily have his ‘underlings’ sniff out stuff that can be used against Terrance, he says that getting it firsthand is a bit more rewarding. He tried to erase all traces of tension and stress in his face; not only would they make him look older, he says, he needs Terrance to be relaxed with him for the boy to spill rather interesting stuff about himself. Though seeing that both parties are a bit on the edge around each other already, his task may be a bit complicated than what he initially intended.

Or not. The small twitch in Terrance’s face and the short silence that followed soon after was enough to make the boy smirk on the inside. Terrance’s denial (at least that’s how Zac sees it) was just icing on the cake really. “Don’t think too much about it. I believe you, of course, considering you were the one involved and all that,” he answered, trying to sound sincere and all that. But Zac didn’t stop there. He decided that it would be fun to play around Terrance’s little secret a bit more. Something tells him that the canoodling he saw a few days ago is just the tip of the iceberg. “Now I feel so bad that I entertained the rumor. They were telling that you were the one hugging Evie from behind. Pfft. Everyone knows Evie’s the little blonde slut in school.” My apologies to Evie. Apparently Zac has decided that the best way to see how much the blonde matters to Terrance was to call him names. And invent a few stories in the process. “I mean, he did try to get into my pants a few months ago. Lucky he didn’t succeed.”

“It’s a shame such friends didn’t transfer to Hammel when you did, right Terrance?” Well, at least he still had the home field advantage then. He just wishes he could’ve done this meeting earlier as Terrance has probably manipulated a few students here and there in an effort to rebuild his kingdom.

[/justify][/blockquote]
ooc:
My brain slept halfway through this post. I am sorry. D;
- Jam