Beauty of History

Click. Click.

The sounds of high heels echoed through the mostly silent Azorean History Museum as the woman known as Sky walked in. She wore a black dress that slanted to the left making one side of her dress much longer than the other. She had on fishnet stockings, a pair of pointy toed black boots that went up to her knee, and a scarf of red draped around her neck. She was dressed in a casual, yet sexy way that caused the guy at the counter to openly stare at her while the girl working with him gave him disapproving looks as she glared daggers at Sky. As if this chick had the right to judge her. She wasn’t her to pick up guys. Sky was here on a mission and Little Ms. Jealous would not hold her back.

Giving the girl a cool glance as she moved up to the counter, Sky parked herself right in front of the guy who was still eyeing her as she stood there. She let the guy do his looking not really caring as she gave the guy her most winning smile and leaned against the counter casually.

“Can I get a ticket for one, please?” she asked sweetly causing the girl to roll her eyes as the guy nodded and then focusing on ringing the ticket up, he would give her the price she owed and she’d pay. Telling the guy thank you, she would take her ticket and leave the counter and head towards the museum, feeling lustful eyes and hateful eyes upon her. Never turning around, she moved deeper into the old place with a smirk on her lips. She had gotten in at the children’s price rather than the adult price. The guy was trying to win her over, but he’d find it would take much more than that to get close to her; however, men were a topic for another day.

Continuing her walk, she would begin to slow down to examine the various pictures and artifacts around her. She would take in details, read plaques, and more as she slowly drifted from one picture to another. When she found a piece of work of great interest, she would reach into her purse and pull out a small notebook and begin to jot down the title of it before pausing to examine the piece and then add more detail to the notebook. She was careful not to leave anything out. She wanted this account of her visit to the museum to be perfect. It had to be….if she wanted to attempt to win points from her sibling….

Drifting from one picture, Sky would move down the pathway until she found a large picture of the ocean. Its blues were relaxing and intriguing to the woman. Looking around, Sky found a bench sitting before the picture and settled upon the seat. Gazing up at the picture of endless blue, Sky took a moment to let her mind wander and escape the world for just a little while. She put herself in a place where she and her sibling got along well. Where she was accepted by the one family member she had left and was still allowed to be what she was. With her younger sibling at her side, the world was perfect and under her thumb. There was no need any more to feel alone or sad. All she would need then was to get stronger so she could protect what was her’s and make the world bow to her every whim. Balance would return and the nonsense that this reality called life would finally end.

Yes. That was the perfect life.

Closing her eyes, Sky let herself live in the perfect spot for a while longer as she became slightly oblivious to the world around her for the moment.

Sky continued to sit quietly on the bench with her eyes closed for a few seconds longer before she heard the light padding of feet to her left. Blue eyes would open slightly and shift towards the sound. There was a kid there. Another probably from the Academy like herself from the looks of it. This white haired girl was examining art pieces and taking notes on what she saw. Perhaps this one was working on a project like herself, or the girl could’ve been one of those art buffs who came to observe the old to get inspiration and tips for her own art. Whatever the case was for the girl, Sky didn’t care. After all, the kid was quite wrapped up in her own work, so it was no point in getting up to bother her.

Blue eyes would drift back to the painting of the ocean before her once more, but instead of sinking back into that blue, Sky would gaze at the picture, but not truly see it as she focused on the prickling sensation as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Someone was watching her.

Staying in her relaxed state, Sky would shift her weight so that she leaned mostly to the left as one hand drifted out to rest upon the hard seat to support her weight. From here, Sky would turn her body slightly towards the direction of the presence as she turned her head and looked over to the spot where the watcher stood.

The watcher was a tall man with white hair appearing to read a book; however, being who she was Sky knew when someone was absorbed in reading or was pretending to be absorbed….and this one was definitely pretending. It was cute little technique that worked well for the untrained, but to someone like her the move would not work so well. No, the move would only draw her attention. Unfortunate for the man perhaps.

Observing the man for a while longer, Sky debated on what the right course of action would be before she was looking away and back at the picture. Her eyes would drift up and down the picture for a bit before her lips parted.

“Why don’t you come and sit, handsome?” she began her semi-husky voice carrying easily in the silence of the area. As she spoke, she’d turn to look back at the male with a light smile as she shifted in her seat, sliding over a bit to make room for the other. Patting the now empty space, she invited the male over to sit if he wanted to.

The gesture would appear harmless enough, but one look into those deep blue orbs would tell a different story to the one that could decipher it. The Collector had just found something that interested her. Now then…how would this game play out?

Sky would remain quiet on her seat watching the golden eyed man carefully as she waited to see if he would take her offer or not. As she waited, she kept the girl examining the art in her peripheral view. The girl had noticed them earlier, but for the most part was not posing any form of threat or even attempting to interact with them, so for the time being the child would be noted and nothing more. Sky wasn’t in the business of interrupting common study after all.

In any case, Sky would keep her light smile as her eyes watched the other come over. He was studying her, but not in the lustful way of men or envious ways of women. No this one had a different sort of eye. An eye that took everything in carefully, analyzed it, and then gain understanding from what was observed. An artist's eye or perhaps a scholar’s eye. It was hard to tell, but it was an eye that Sky could appreciate.

When the other approach and sat down by her Sky folded her free hand in her lap as she remained leaned back away from the other as she took in the words that were said her smile never fading as she stayed quiet for a moment before speaking.

“You are too kind with your words,” Sky would say her voice carrying the light amusement that most modest women would carry when a male had flattered them with a compliment. It was a natural reaction and one that Sky had practiced well enough to pull off with near perfection. The key words here being “near perfection”. While the young woman pulled the words and actions off well enough, only those with keen eyes would see the way Sky’s eyes observed the other before drifting off to the painting before her once more. Like a tiger watching a rather tricky prey.

A moment of silence passed between the pair before the other was speaking again. As he spoke, Sky’s eyes would close as her small smile turned to one of light amusement. This one indeed had the special eye that could be appreciated by a collector such as her. He was not charmed by her beauty or words. He was a straight forward and simple man that more than likely did not play such games that other fools did. This quality was rare to find in humans, but it was a quality that perhaps suggested he was perceptive and had eyes unclouded by sins. This was all speculation of course, but it was enough for Sky to pick apart as they talked. In any case, the man had become interesting enough to gain her name easily.

“Akumura,” she said in her usual calm and semi-husky voice as her eyes reopened to take in the endless blue of the ocean picture before her. “My name is Sky Akumura. And what is yours?” she would ask as her strange blue eyes drifted to meet the ones watching her from the corners of the man’s face. She would pause long enough to allow the man to answer if he wished before going on as she remained relaxed as ever on the bench.

“I do not judge anyone by looks. I only judge by quality,” she would give him a light smirk before her eyes would drift to the picture before her once more. “Take this picture of blue for example. To the bored and unappreciative, this is simply a large canvas of blue, but to the appreciative this an ocean, a sky, or endless possibilities. The quality, the beauty…it all shifts according to how the observer looks at,” she would state before her eyes would drift slightly over to the man.

“People are not much different than art. Let’s take you for example. You are a simple ordinary person that does not seem to stick out much on the canvas. Most would pass you by thinking you nothing more than another dot; however, to another eye you are quite interesting. A being that would choose a book over the various art and artifacts around them,” Sky would gestured around the museum with her freehand before letting it drop into her lap again.

“The choice you made is simple. Ordinary, but to me a suggestion of something more under the plain skin. Naturally, I wanted to observe you up closer, so I called you over. Hope you don’t mind,” she said as her small smile widened slightly, her words just as straightforward as his question.

She let a few moments of silence pass by before the smile faded as she tilted her head curiously at the other.

“I've told you my reasons, so now tell me yours. Why did you accept such an invitation?”

Well, well, well. What was this? Had the tiger actually met its match? It was hard to say from a distance, but as the other sat down and the chatter began to occur, Sky had a feeling that perhaps this man was as dangerous as herself. He did not react to her words or smile like most men did. He did not break down with desire. He did not want her like the other fools of the world did. He simply sat and remained polite and charming. It was a change that Sky appreciated and only made her more curious about the other.

A man that did not lust for her. How unique and rare. Perhaps if she already knew him better, she’d try her luck at getting closer to such a rarity in the world, but alas she and he were strangers, so she kept a respectful wall between her and her subject of study. When she introduced herself, the other responded back with words powerful enough to sweep an ordinary woman off her feet; however, as those blue orbs watched the golden ones of the other, Sky would simply give him a genuine smile of pleasure before listening to his name as he looked away from her.

“You are quite the charmer, Alan. What a pleasure to have met you,” she said as she watched the other for a moment before her eyes were drifting away from his. As her eyes drifted away, she would explain her reasoning for inviting the gent over using the painting before her as an example before shifting the analysis to the man himself. Her reason was sound enough in her mind, but to a simpleton it would fly way over their head; however, as she sat by the other, she found he was not a simpleton at all. He seemed to appreciate and understand absolutely what she said. When he responded to her question for his reason of accepting such an invitation, the woman found the smile returning to her lips as she glanced back at the other. Her eyes would narrow as her smile turned into a light grin as she let out a small “hmph” of amusement.

This man was indeed a rarity in the world. A perfect match for herself…and that is what made him dangerous. Deadly. She knew she was playing with fire and to be honest, she liked that. It was a nice change up from the dull and boring. Finally, someone truly worth her time outside of family.

“Please. There is no need formalities here. Just call me Sky. I am quite grateful you have taken my offer. I always appreciate those that can understand my talk,” she said genuinely pleased as blue orbs drifted back to the picture. “As for how long I’ve been here, I too am quite new to Azores. I came here from a city quite a distance away. I am collector of various things you see, so I make it by business to judge the quality of what I collect. I don’t want junk, so I have to be more analytical than some. I had hoped that by coming here I’d find some more rare objects for my collection,” She’d pause as her eyes narrowed and blue orbs slid over to look at the other as a light smirk appeared on her lips. “Finding you has shown that this place has some promise.”

She’d give a soft and sweet chuckle at the end finding no need to hide the truth from the other that had her fully interested now.

Sky heard her named whispered by the other; however, she would seemingly not pay the detail much mind as blue orbs drifted from the one next to her the museum itself. She seem to savor the art she was around as much as she savored the charming fellow’s company. To the casual eye the pair would appear to simply be flirting, but for Sky it was much more than that.

She had plans of her own for the world that did not involve romance. Unlike some women who actually used her same tactics to discover "true love", Sky typically used it for fun and nothing more. However, men were typically dull and boring, but this one. This one was different. He kept her engaged, knew how to play the game, and in turn caught the tiger’s interest. It was a dangerous game having two tigers with similar yet varying views so close to one another. A normal woman would have backed off the moment the male decided to take an action that was more straightforward than normal, but Sky was not the normal woman.

When Alan shifted his book on his lap and turned to her, leaning in as he brought his face slightly closer to her, the woman would listen to his words as her eyes passed over the nice features. The eyes, the lips...The perfection. Oh yes, he was quite the lovely piece, but to collect him would be unwise. He was much too dangerous and beautiful for that. Still, if he wanted to play she could play. After all wasn’t the game more fun when both parties were engaged even if their hearts were colder than ice? Yes, it was much more fun that way.

Not afraid of the other, Sky would lean slightly inward to meet the other half way as a smirk of her own played upon her lips as blue orbs locked on the narrowed golden ones.

“Yes. I collect many things indeed, but never have I found something quite as intriguing as you,” she said in a low tone before leaning forward and whispering in the other’s ear. “Perhaps I like playing with fire every now and then.”

The words were soft, seductive, and deadly to any fool that fell prey to them; however, this one before her, she didn’t see him as a fool. No, he knew what sort of game he was playing just as she knew her own side of the board. She would pull back slightly as she gave the other a confident smirk that could be seen as a playful challenge to the other. It would appear the tiger had finally met something truly worth playing the game with. What would happen now?

A silent smile and a narrowing of eyes was the only response from the intriguing golden eye man that was across from Sky. Keeping her own silence and the smirk upon her lips, she met the other’s eyes evenly, actively participating in the art of silent conversation. This conversation ended when the other took his book in hand once more and stood up. Not moving from her own seat, Sky remained in a relaxed slouch as she looked at the other as he spoke.

To his words, the young woman grinned lightly as she nodded. “Mmm. It is unfortunately we have to look so hard for things such as you and I,” she agreed with the other as she tilted her head and looked at the man from the corner of her eyes as he gave her nod and then began to walk away.

As he walked, he spoke out to her and what reached the young woman’s ears was quite pleasurable.

“The pleasure was all mine, Alan. You are welcome to find me any time you wish. Until next we meet, take care,” Sky would respond back easily enough before falling silent as she simply watched the other exit the building. When the male was gone, Sky turned her eyes back to the picture before her as she began to ponder not the art before her, but the new art that she had just met. How interesting it would be to dissect that one further to see what secrets that ordinary man held.

Thread has ended.