Winter was just beginning to depart from the outside world, the weather warming causing most of the general public to travel around with their puffy winter jackets casually left open. Of course there was the occasional over cautious business man who one could have sworn had cheimatophobia from the lengths he would go to cover himself to the point of sweating.

Inside the mall any regards to health were abandon as all winter attire was shed for outfits that could probably make you cold in summer. Blending in with the clothing trend sat a red-headed youth in front of FYE boredly watching the pop princesses and scene gods walk in and out of the store. His tight black t-shirt and just about as clingy jeans didn’t put him in any stereotypes as of yet. However the piercings- lip and ears- may have caused people to speculate. The traces of rock-star wanna be make up furthered any speculations.

Lucien had been at the mall for a good hour already, he was broke but he found the social gathering place entertaining. Sitting on the uncomfortable wooden bench with an old CD player blaring “Rock The Casbah” (oh so old school), chucks tapping to the beat, he mused on the stupidity of the human culture at times. This philosophical moment was brought on by the fact of the “elevator temporarily out of service” sign to his right.

“Elevator temporarily stairs,” he remarked grimly between mouthing out the words of The Clash. How lazy could humanity get.

((Hope you don't mind.))

It was getting warmer. That was Cassie's excuse for wearing a black mini skirt that was even perhaps a little shorter than the average mini and a deep blue tank top that rode up over her winter-pale stomach. Her matching blue hair is, as usual, left to hang loose around her shoulders. Silvery eyes were highlighted by traces of silver on her eyelids, and it's not makeup, no matter what it looks like.

And no coat. She'd left it somewhere in the mall, probably draped over a bench because it was much too hot indoors for something that stifling.

She didn't think human culture was stupid. Incomprehensible at times, yes, and very confusing, but not stupid. It was too complicated to be stupid... Of course, Cassie wasn't human. Which gave her a different perspective on things...

"That's nice music," she told the young man--though he was probably about twenty years or so older than she was. Nice to be a nymph and thus 'all grown up' from birth. Or whatever--with the CD player with a cheerful smile.

She likes people. Even if they are confusing.

(Not at all.)

Lucien pulled the head phone off his ears and glanced over to the new arrival into his little bubble of artificially created bliss. She looked harmless enough, and from what Lucien new he could grasp enough from some sensor in the back of the brain to tell him she wasn’t human. Beyond that recognition he was as helpless in guessing as anyone else in the mall.

“Merci.”

It was an annoying habit of his, throwing occasional bits of French into his vernacular. He personally thought English was crappy and everyone should speak French.

In an attempt to be more social then usual he offered a half-grin to the girl and set his CD player aside, ignoring the steady stream of music still pouring forth. “M’names Lucien.”

Cassie doesn't speak French, but she's not entirely an airhead. She can guess from context that he said 'thank you.'

"You're welcome. I'm Cassie." She took his hand, still smiling, and shook it. Once, twice, thrice. And let go.

She's figured out that that is the proper formula for shaking hands, you see. And she has this obsession with doing things 'right,' so that the humans don't quite suspect that she's not one of them.

She doesn't always succeed, but most humans dismiss her quirks as just that.

"Who's the band?"

Lucien didn’t notice her precise formula, yet. His brain was on temporary shut down from lack of caffeine and intelligent conversations, and the fact he only had two hours of sleep couldn’t help.

It took his a moment for is brain to kick into gear, but he gave a look to his CD player and back at Cassie.

“Ehm…The Clash.”

"I like the Clash."

Well... she did now, anyway. She'd never heard them before in her (short) life, but Cassie liked just about everything that had anything to do with technology, and if he'd been playing recordings of traffic noises on his CD player, she'd probably have liked those just as well.

"Can I sit down?"

“The Clash is old, but they’re good.” He commented off handedly.

He scooted over, cursing himself mentally for not offering her a seat.

“Of course.”

(Short and crappy, sorry.)

((No worries, doll.))

Since he didn't mind, she sat down. Or, better say, she folded herself onto the bench, quite gracefully. (That grace was one of the things she had in common with her more nature-oriented... 'cousins' (?) )

"What else do you like, Lucien? I like people. Especially boys."

What can I say? Tact is not something that Cassie has ever heard of.

(Sorry it took me so long to respond, I was stuck at a friends)

"Hmm, yes well I guess those of the male gender can be fun."

Lucien was a bit less open with his sexual preferences, however his left many opprotunities open. Being bisexual leveled the playing field lots.

With a playful smirk Luci folded up his legs, indian style and pondered what he like. "I like pina colattas, taking walks in the rain...."

Cassie shook her head firmly.

"I don't like rain."

This is because it feels dangerous, somehow. Computers don't like water, y'know? It messes with them.

((Ookay, weird post.))

Apparently she didn't notice the song reference, but the above was true. Alcohol and rain are a boys best friend.

"Well then, what do you like?"

As he proposed the question the CD skipped from The Clash to Goo Goo Dolls. Luci was a diverse music listener.

That was a song reference? Sorry. Cassie's only been around for about two years--which is her author's excuse.

"People. Computers. Stuff."

Very vague, yes, but then, Cassie's never sure if she likes or dislikes a thing until she's tried it. So how can she be specific?