Disclaimers: All characters belong to rightful owners.
Story concieved by Lee.


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"Is that were you vanished to, then?" Sam blinked as he tilted his head on side. Of course, for the most part, he was too lost in playing rock star to notice much of anything, but, still, he had been quite aware that his wonderful bass player had been missing. "I was wondering, but no one seemed to know. I thought you just snuck off with that hot Eli guy..."

"Still, yea. I had _such_ a good time! Everyone was _so_ nice and there was this one girl there--I think her name was Mary--that was just insanely hot." Chuckling softly to himself, he lolled his head against the back of the booth. "Man, she could do things with her tongue...."

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"Won't you just," Darran agreed with a grin, then paused and thought over Wolfgang's little slip. *So that's how he goes, huh? No big deal, not like I would've bit his head off for it or anything...* Quickly, he bit his lip to hold back the laugh that had begun at such a ridiculous thought. Really, he'd have to be the _biggest_ hypocritcal asshole in the world to do that, wouldn't he?

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Quite unaware of Lukas' new resolve, Sophia merely considered his response for a moment. All in all, there was a lot more wisdom in what he'd just said than in what half the population of New Eden believed... of course, she reminded herself seriously and not sarcastically, that didn't make the standard very high, but even so. "You're right, of course. I'm a little surprised though. Most people around here would just take any praise or pleasure offered to them, and not worry if it's honestly earned or not. Certainly some would even consider themselves entitled to such benefits, on the virtue of a pretty face."

"It may just be a matter of patience, waiting until your attractiveness has toned down to a respectable level, until people begin to appreciate the essence of your music." But that implied an even worse outcome. Were people really so blinded by physical beauty as to ignore it in other forms? Would they let truth languish, as long as they could admire something less permanent, but more pleasing in that moment? She frowned slightly. How terrible if that was the case. The weaknesses in people-- sometimes it just became so hard to see a way around them.

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While the original call to battle had been, admittedly, underhanded, it had also been unintentional; Kein's style wasn't subterfuge. He swiveled around to check out the peanut gallery and raised his eyebrows to see that it was the guy he'd just passed. _This_ one-- thin enough to be on church handouts, really-- was the one stuffing fifties in the pockets of bums? He wouldn't have guessed it, but whatever. Some bleeding-heart type with an unusually pissy defense mechanism.

Nothing Kein couldn't handle.

"Love nothing better than to compare," he drawled, a half-smirk tugging at his lips, "but I only whip it out when someone offers outright. I'm not much for latent suggestion."

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"Mm. I'd figure that." Muneca nodded as he raked his eyes slowly over the elder in a rather coldly evaluating fashion. Yea. Typical businessman. A bit young, but, hey, even the kids were getting into it, nowadays. Probably someone with truly twisted tastes and a deep fetish for sadism--tough love and all that jazz. Shaking his head slowly, he gave a half-smirk. "Latent suggestion would probably fly right over your ever-so neat and ever-so expesive haircut, hey, friend?"

"Still, as for whipping it out--as you so elegantly put it..." The smirk only spreading, he crouched to the ground and, his head just about eye-level with Kein's waist, he quirked a brow. "Go right ahead. Let's see if it notices its shadow and scurries back into the hole..."

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Tsk. Just a random dumb-ass punk off the street, but even so, Kein really couldn't let that go. On the other hand, there was a fine line to walk, between paying the guy back and not exposing himself on the street.

"You wish, buddy," he grinned, tugging far from gently at Muneca's hair, to give him the hint that he should rise. "I already told you my terms: no show without the promise of a blowjob. So either get me someplace warm or kindly tuck your tail between those legs and hang _something_ down there."

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"Alright, well, lets get going then shall we?" and with that he started off to the fair. On the way he noticed a long stretch of ice that had formed on the sidewalk. Someone must not have turned off thier sprinklers over the night and had frozen over, *Hate to have been in those pipes!*

As he came closer to the ice, the inner child in him just could not be contianed any more. With a quick wink to Para, Wolfgang jumped into a full sprint. Once he reached the ice, and after a small hop, was sliding _backward_ on the ice. After about six feet or so, he leaped off of the ice, into a one-hand backspring, only to land on some more ice that he did not expect and then tumble in the iced-over turf, bursting with uncontrolible laughter. *Wow, I guess I need more practice* and continued to laugh.

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Lukas nodded thoughtfully as he considered Sophia's words, his resolution to make her laugh for the moment, forgotten. "That be true, cherie... An' maybe it also be a matter of... maturity... The kids who come to our shows, they be pretty young... They just wanna hear hard, drivin' music 'bout fu... er...eh heh, 'bout love, you know?" With a short, somewhat humorless laugh, he shook his head slightly, continuing, "Hell, *we* be pretty immature ourselves, I s'pose... Me 'n the other guys in the band, I mean... but maybe... as they grow up, an' as *we* grow up... Maybe we finally come up with somethin' worth listenin' to, you think?"

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"So, those're your terms?" Chuckling, Mune wrapped a hand around the wrist tugging at his hair and, working to remove this, he rose to his feet of his own violition. Still, regardless of whether he removed the wrist or not, he tugged on this same as he started off in a seemingly random direction; after all, such a challenge _cannot_ be ignored! "Alright, then. Come with me. There's a place not too far from here that's warm. Dark, too, so, at least, I won't have to _see_ how unimpressive you are..."

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"Mm. Of course I will." Para nodded agreeably to Darran's statement and, grinning, she again glanced between the two of them. "Besides, with two such strong, manly men, I won't have anything to fear for the rest of the day."

Naturally, as Wolfgang went into his gymnastic feat, she smiled, giggled, and applauded him--Cordy joining in with a chorus of childish giggles from his perch--though this died on the girl's lips as Wolfgang took a spill. A small, concerned frown shaping her lips, she crossed to the boy and, extended a hand, she offered him help up, should he want it. "Hey, are you okay, Wolfgang?"

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With Para's help, Wolfgang was on his feet. Between heavy beathing and laughing at his own sorta stupidity, he thanked the girl for helping him and told here that he was fine. "Just like me to show off, have a bit of fun doing it, and then wipe out. Damn Murphy..." He gave a few friendly pokes at Cordy to assure him that he was alright then handed him a few frozen wild-flowers that he had picked up while on the ground. "...here are a few for you too, Para," and handed her the rest of the flowers. "I figured you wouldn't apreciate them as much," he said to Dar and gave alight chuckle, "but if you really one some I can pick some more? hehe," and with out thinking gave Dar a wink and a nudge.

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Well. Go out for a sandwich, wind up with a blowjob. But hey, that sure as hell worked for Kein, so he followed the punk without further comment, smirk still hovering on his face. And made mental note not to let the kid bite anything off.

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"Something like that," she replied, "and though age per se isn't always the factor, I suppose it doesn't help. But you know, just the fact that you realize this, that you're trying-- even if you haven't produced anything you would consider truly worthwhile yet, I don't think it would be to hard to achieve that. Not for you."

She didn't appreciate Lukas' attempt to screen his words though, and shook her head at the amendation of his sentence. "Much as it should, sex doesn't seem to have much to do with love, not for most people, and you know it."

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Eventually, Muneca led Kein to some random, rather nice hotel in the general district and, after a short trip through the lobby and up in the elevator, he led the businessman to a room to which he often brought clients who didn't wish to either meet in their offices, homes, or wherever. Opening the door, he smirked to the stranger as he gestured for him to go inside.

"After you." He smirked as he quirked eyebrows at the man. Of course, he hadn't really intended to end up blowing some random ass on the street, but maybe Barano'd be a little less pissed if he managed to bring in _some_ of the funds he'd forfitted at the party earlier. Besides, he wasn't about to let the smirking jackass get the upperhand--it was a matter of pride, now. "Unless you particularly feel like whipping out in the hall..."

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"Nice gymnastics there," Darran joked as soon as Wolfgang had climbed to his feet and demonstrated that he was okay. "Though, minus the landing, it _did_ look pretty cool..."

He laughed at Wolfgang's suggestion of flowers, rather densely not taking it as anything more than teasing, and sent him a playfully hurt look. "But of course! After all, why _wouldn't_ I appreciate flowers? I can do the whole--" and here, naturally, he had to ham it up as much as possible for the benefit of all present-- "rugged, yet sensitive, strong, yet artsy man!" Then he dropped the heroic stance and slipped back into his casual manner, returning Wolfgang's wink in kind. "But yeah, to tell the truth, you've already given the flowers to the ones who'll apprecate them best, eh?"

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Without no particular destination in mind, Tesu's feet eventually carried him to Bethlehem park. Although it was rather late, the multi- colored glow of Christmas lights and the cheery blare of carols spilling out into the street through the park entrance indicated that there at least some of the enforced seasonal revelries were still going on. Having nothing else better to do at the moment, Tesu directed his steps to the holly-bound gates, pausing for a moment as his stormcloud gaze fell on a small, shivering, and very furry figure crouching just outside the park entrance.

"Hey Stubby..." Tesu murmured softly, immediately recognizing the half-grown pup as one of the strays that continuously made the rounds of New Eden's streets. Stubby, recognizing a soft touch when he saw one, trotted over to Tesu, nudging the boy's hand with his cold wet nose, happy to see a friendly face amidst all these holiday revellers who couldn't so much as toss a scrap to a poor, starving mongrel in the name of Christmas. Laughing softly, Tesu scratched the small dog behind the ears and was rewarded by the grateful slurp of a warm pink tongue and the frantic wagging of his short stump of a tail. A moment later, Stubby shoved his nose into the pocket of Tesu's jacket, snuffling hopefully as he searched for a treat.

"Hungry?" Tesu inquired softly, to which the pup responded with more frantic tail wagging. Taking this as a yes, the boy stood, lightly patting the side of his leg, "C'mon then... let's get you fed..." He then set off through the gates, Stubby following close to heel.

Once inside, his grey gaze sweeping the concession stands that were still open, Tesu's eyes eventually fell on one that offered meat pies and hot drinks. Approaching this same, he quietly ordered two of the pies as well as a styrofoam cup of hot, spiced cider before retreating to a nearby park bench to consume the feast. Stubby, of course trotted right alongside, his attention raptly fixed on the paper-wrapped pies in the boy's hands.

Once seated, Tesu unwrapped the food, immediately offering one to the pup before taking a bite of the one he'd bought for himself. Stubby, of course, fell on his with a good will, devouring it in about three bites. Afterwards, he nudged Tesu's hand then sat back, his head tilted to one side, soulful brown eyes fixed on the boy's barely nibbled meal. With a soft laugh, Tesu immediately handed over the rest of his pie, which disappeared in the same manner as the other.

Once the food was gone, Stubby curled up on the bench next to Tesu, his chin resting on the boy's knee. As Tesu idly scratched that good spot right behind the dog's ears, both stray and former stray sat contentedly, watching the crowd together.

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Naturally, Cordy giggled and squirmed at Wolfgang's playful pokings then, his dark eyes going a bit wide, he gleefully took the offered flowers. Playing joyously with these same, he offered the man a rather wide, bright smile....even if it was mostly hidden by scarf, jacket, and hood.

"Aww, thanks! They're gorgeous!" Para smiled widely to Wolfgang as she, too, took her flowers, then, at the teasing interaction between the two others, her fangirl instincts took over. Of course, since she hadn't brought her _good_ camera--too much of a pain to haul it around and too good a chance someone'd theif it or it'd get broken-- she pulled one of those little disposables from her pocket and, grinning broadly, she snapped any number of pictures of this interaction between Darran and Wolfgang.

"Hmm. I don't know..." She giggled softly to Dar's demural of being the rugged yet sensative, strong yet artsy man and, winking, she shook her head. "I think such a type would go _very_ cutely with Wolfgang's sweet, a little goofy, athletic and kind personality.."

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Unfortunately, in much the same way Muneca considered it a matter of honor at this point, so did Kein-- that, and, what point was there to turning down a blowjob?

"Sure, sure," he replied, dismissing the other's smart comments, and walked in. A fairly nice little room, decorated in beige and forest green, comfortable-looking furniture, a tv. Not, Kein figured with a smirk, that either of them would be using it. Sitting on the bed would be just a little too trite, really, so instead he sprawled himself out in an armchair.

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Lukas nodded, a rueful smile playing about his lips, "Damn right, it don't help, petite... As you'll find out for yourself in a few years, when the hormones start playin' ping pong with your brains. As fun as it is, sometimes, this's got to be the *silliest* time of life ever..." Blinking in response to Sophia's latter comment, he arched an eyebrow, a faint half-smile curving his lips, "Not for me, eh? An' what makes me any different from all th'other wannabe's?"

A slightly chagrinned expression stole over his features at her last comment, Sophia's words bringing home the fact that he'd already guessed: this was no *ordinary* little girl. Of course she'd resent him treating her as such. And of course her words *would* automatically strike right smack dab at the heart of his own barely acknowledged dilemma. Unable to remain serious for long, however, he offered her a good-natured, yet admiring grin, "How you get to be so smart, petite? You really a little girl... or you a 40 year old midget?"

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Wolfgang could do little but blush as Para described his personality. Being so involved with his family duties, it was rare for him to be happy around other people, including the ones that he met after his brother ran over one of them. Para's and Dar's happiness and complaments touched Wolfgang in ways even he didn't understand. It has been a long time since he'd had such interraction with people, outside of Roscoe of course. _He_ was the exception that even Wolfgang could not explain.

"Well, here ya go anyway," and Wolfgang put a single blue flower in his jacket pocket, "you can have one too" Wolfgang rubed his eyes as they were getting somewhat moist, *dont cry! dont cry!* Wolfgang caught a glance at his watch, "Oh my, My mother will would be waiting for us by now."

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