From Dusk to Dawn [Cici]

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From Dusk to Dawn [Cici] Jan 7, 2012 1:04:36 GMT -5

Post by Python on Jan 7, 2012 1:04:36 GMT -5

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The shrieking of her alarm clock roused the golden-haired deviant from within her quarters. Her initial reaction was not pleasant; with a groan, she sat up and clicked a button to silence the piercing tones. She rolled out of bed and pushed her worn curtains aside, revealing the perfect view of a vibrant sunset. Napping in the middle of the afternoon was not an uncommon occurrence in her weekly routine. On this day, as noted on her calendar, Demeter Glory was not scheduled to work in the mines. Instead of laboring in the mine tunnels, her various activities during the day included housework, running errands, and taking advantage of the little free time she possessed. This afternoon beauty nap was meant to energize her for the approaching evening. It was time for her to earn some real money.

Demeter retrieved a small notepad from within her desk. The pages were separated into two sections: Addresses and schedules. The address section was dedicated to past clients, whose names, contact information, and addresses were neatly listed for future reference. Stars were drawn beside the names of returning customers. The second section was for her own benefit of organization. Occasionally, past customers would approach her during the daytime and book her for a specific time during the evening. She would record these bookings in this section of the notepad and sketch small, crucial notes, such as the customer’s locations beside them. Tonight, her schedule was completely free. Service would be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

After carefully selecting her attire for the evening, she maneuvered herself into a lavender, skin-tight dress that exaggerated every detail of every curve on her body. The bottom was cropped just above her mid-thighs, and the top was low-cut, revealing a fair amount of skin upon her chest. She completed the outfit with a pair of heeled boots and a long, black, winter coat. The coat was merely to protect herself from cooling temperatures and the wandering eyes of her oblivious grandparents.

She slipped her notepad into a small handbag and slung the strap over her right shoulder. Cautiously, she peered into the hallway of her home in search of her guardians, and after confirming that the area was clear, silently slipped into the hallway. On her way to the kitchen, she spotted her grandparents sharing a conversation in their bedroom. They seemed occupied and prepared to retire for the night. This was excellent news for Demeter.

In the kitchen, she briefly scanned their pantry for food. Cereal, crackers, and apples were the only edible contents remaining, and surely her grandparents had consumed most of these foods for dinner. Demeter, on the other hand, had snacked before her nap and planned on skipping dinner for the night. Normally, at the houses of her clients, she would ask permission to take a few items from their pantries, or in a few cases, steal them. At the moment, she was saving her money for the next shopping trip. She currently possessed enough to satisfy minimal needs, but if she wanted to provide her guardians and herself with higher quality foods, she would be required to earn more money. Tonight was her chance to acquire this money.

Demeter quietly squeezed through the front door and headed for the streets. There were several corners and streets marked on her mental map that she normally visited. Both new customers and returning customers frequently waited in these areas for her visits. Whether or not there were customers already waiting for her at her destination, only time would tell.

Upon her arrival, Demeter noticed that there were very few people wandering in this particular area of the street. She scanned every face and every body, searching for familiar features, but recognized nobody. However, she would not pass up the opportunity to meet new, potential customers. She decided that she would loiter in this area for a bit longer and test the grounds.

Demeter paused and stood idly on the corner, as if waiting for something to happen. This was partially true. However, she was mainly taking advantage of the time by observing the people and possibly waiting for somebody to approach her--if, of course, they were in need of her services. One boy in particular caught her eye. A head of chocolate, curly hair was the first trait she spotted. Then, upon realizing his height, her confidence diminished a bit. Demeter stood at an impressive 6’1”, causing her to tower over the majority of her female peers. There were males that stood above her, but so far, she had counted a higher number of shorter men. The fact that she was taller than most of her clients was somewhat of a dilemma. Some guys were intimidated by the combination of her height and her appearance, causing their confidence to drop. Then again, there were quite a few men ~~and women~~ who were comfortable dealing with dominant females.

The boy she was focused on was a few inches shorter than she was, but whether or not that would become an obstacle was something she was willing to discover. She did not, however, approach him. Instead, her gaze followed his every move, waiting for an opportunity to make eye contact. Eye contact was the key to luring new clients.

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Last Edit: Apr 24, 2012 19:13:24 GMT -5 by Python

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From Dusk to Dawn [Cici] Apr 25, 2012 22:27:22 GMT -5

Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2012 22:27:22 GMT -5

Hugo Delgado

When Hugo was five years old, his parents took a single day off of work – the first in many years – and took both him and his brother, Estefan to the zoo. It was one of those days that Hugo had stored in the small compartment at the very back of his mind: the one he liked to save for the memories that would stay with him eternally, the ones that reminded him of who he was.

The tranquility of the day had been enough to classify it as brilliant and undying. Back then, Hugo Delgado hadn’t needed to worry about what his parents thought of him, what his friends thought of him, or how much of his life was just the shadow of his brother’s.

Back then, he was merely a kid with wide eyes and brown curls. In fact, he got a free lollipop just for being one.

But that was back when ignorance and age formed a descending linear equation. They still did, as he grew older; except Hugo no longer got to sit at the top of the slope.

As he recalle the memory, Hugo remembered the animals at the zoo; there were very few, and the zoo itself was small. However, the few that resided there were exotic and wonderful, animals Hugo had only heard of, but never seen. There was another zoo in the Capitol, but they had apparently wanted to share their treasures with one of their most loyal districts, for an expensive admission of course. And this had been it; Hugo had been there.

Of all the animals, though, there were two that Hugo had found quite dull. Long tails, scaly textures, legs so miniscule that the animal’s belly continued to drag across the floor, the crocodile and the alligator looked too similar, similar enough that Estefan had stood there an hour, dazzled by his inability to distinguish them. Even as Hugo had continued to complain about his inattention, his family wouldn’t leave without Estefan’s decision.

“Does it really matter if it’s an alligator?” Hugo had shouted. Yet, what he hadn’t realized then, was that, yes, it in fact, did.

~~~~~

Calling Hugo Delgado a Career was just like calling an alligator a crocodile. Where was the line that separated the two: the size of the snout, the general behavior, the overall color? It was definitely difficult to distinguish, for the two animals looked analogous on the outside. However, those tiny details become pertinent when deciding how to classify them.

Hugo blurred the lines between Career and non-Career. He was deemed a crocodile, while in reality, his snout was much to broad. The more he distorted the differences, the harder it became to tell what he was, where he come from, what was under those laughing brown eyes.

But most people’s eyes strayed away from Hugo’s mask. They weren’t able to see how much effort he put into disguising his weaknesses. When someone did, he just had to try harder.

Constantly working to disguise his hard work—as ironic as it was--he followed his group of friends continuously. Tonight, in fact, they were taking a rest from training. In fact, Hugo didn’t really know where they were going; he was just following the rest of the guys. Often, they liked to make trouble in their free time and further, show that they were truly tough enough to face anything. If that’s what it took, then so be it. Hugo was tolerant enough.

Laughing at something he hadn’t even heard, Hugo ran after the others as their long strides empowered them to walk faster. Suddenly, the rest of them stopped as one of the boys snatched a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He put his hand out, letting the other boys take a grab.

On the outside of the crowd, Hugo waited for his turn. However, he felt the hair on the back of his neck rising, in that same subtle way when you feel someone watching you. He looked behind him, only to lock eye contact with a tall girl. She seemed to have been watching him for quite some time. He took a step back, stunned by her intense magnificence. She was dressed in an outfit that seemed fit for quite another occasion.

Hugo whistled mockingly, raising his eyebrows at the sight. What was she doing on a street like this? Waiting for someone? The other guys were nudging him. “You wanna go talk to her, Hugo? I know you wanna.” Deep laughs filled the air. Hugo returned the few laughs with a smirk, walking over to the girl.

He wasn’t doing it because he wanted to talk to her. He was doing it because he wanted to look sophisticated. Talking to a hot girl like her would definitely pull him farther into this circle of Careers. In fact, that was all Hugo truly cared about: making his way to the top. He wanted to be a winner, and he didn’t care what it took.

However, there was that little bit of insecurity that nipped at Hugo’s insides: that little bit of insecurity that separated an alligator from a crocodile, or Hugo from the Careers. It was what defined him, and it was also what destroyed him day to day. There was too much empathy stored deep in his heart: empathy that he constantly kept hidden, pushing it away every time it emerged. Too much lust blinded him from truly seeing the world beyond his own eyes.

Hugo approached the girl, giving her a single scan up and down before looking back at his friends. He could tell they were all waiting for something. They wanted to be impressed. Hugo turned back towards the girl, letting words flood from his mouth. “Well you look fine today,” Hugo said in a desperately mysterious voice. He smiled to himself. “You got any special occasion planned?” He put emphasis on the last two words, suddenly wondering whether she in fact, did. Was this girl what Hugo was thinking she was? Or was she just wearing an extremely revealing black dress for no reason? Hugo guessed against the latter, throwing her a slight wink before taking a quick glance back at the guys.

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Last Edit: Sept 1, 2012 17:43:37 GMT -5 by Deleted

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From Dusk to Dawn [Cici] May 6, 2012 3:19:12 GMT -5

Post by Python on May 6, 2012 3:19:12 GMT -5

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The curly-haired stranger was not alone. A group of boys were gathered around him snatching what appeared to be cigarettes out of his hand. She mentally grimaced at the sight. Hopefully none of them planned on smoking a cigarette before approaching her - if they ever did. She despised smoker’s breath; it tasted like ash and filled her nostrils with the poisonous fumes for hours. She would rather not touch a man reeking of cigarettes even with a ten foot pole, but sometimes it was either that or starving for the rest of the week. Suffering on the job was part of life, unfortunately.

A suggestive whistle pierced the breezy atmosphere and drifted into her ears, forcing her to focus her attention whether she wanted to or not. A group of potential clients - career boys, who tended to be very easy to capture in her web - was sitting on her plate like a pile of meat slabs. Fresh and too tempting to resist. Career boys always meant wealthy families, and ealthy families meant good income. Despite their arrogance and the condescending air they carried with them, Demeter always favored the careers over the disturbing old men that paid low prices for her. She narrowed her jade eyes on the group of cocky careers, and merely stared with gleaming irises as they stole the occasional glance at her and laughed. Demeter could read them like an open book; the way they were nudging the curly-haired boy and chuckling like maniacs told her that they were encouraging the boy to talk to her. She knew from personal experience that certain boys tended to be intimidated by her height, her beauty, or a combination of both. It took genuine confidence for some to even approach her, let alone ask for her services. The boy’s posture and behavior seemed to radiate confidence already, though, and she expected nothing less from the typical career.

Finally, the curly-haired boy strayed away from the group of careers and made his way over to her. She shifted her weight to one side and propped a hand over her hip, offering the boy an invitation in the form of a warm, but discreetly seductive smile. As the corners of her lips curled ever so gently, she tilted her head and flipped her blonde curls over her shoulder. ”Well you look fine today.” How original. If she could have a penny for every time a man called her “fine”, she would be living a luxurious life in The Capitol. So far, the boy wasn’t establishing any good credit. The statement was rather boring, actually - but she knew she couldn’t judge too harshly. She spent too much time analyzing male behavior; they were just so bizarre and irrational, it was a shocking sight to behold at times. But this - this was nothing spectacular. Just a simple career boy trying to impress his silly friends by talking to her. Did he really have any intent to sleep with her? Or was he simply wasting her time? If it turned out to be the second option, she would tear the boy into fragments of shame and humiliation.

“Got any special occasion planned?” Emphasis was always easy to detect - but what his true intentions were was still unclear. She briefly glanced over at his friends, who were all watching intensely, and wondered if she could lure him away from the bad influence to increase her chances of capturing him. As tempting as it was to drill the boy into embarrassment in front of his precious companions, she was striving for an actual payment, and at the moment this ~~vulnerable~~ boy was her best shot.
”Not at the moment.” The words slipped gently between her lips like silk. She took a step closer to the boy, leaving the tips of their noses only inches apart. How impressive his friends must’ve thought he was. ”But I could, if you‘re willing to pay the right price.”

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Last Edit: May 7, 2012 16:08:33 GMT -5 by Python

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From Dusk to Dawn [Cici] Jun 30, 2012 9:51:27 GMT -5

Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2012 9:51:27 GMT -5

Hugo Delgado

Philosophy had never been Hugo's forte, yet if he only saw how accurately many philosophers depicted his world, he may have realized how little of him was left. An ancient philosopher from quite long ago--Hugo, in no way, could remember his name--had said that people are born good, yet the evils of society corrupt their natural character. There was no dishonesty, denial, or wrongness in the idea, especially when it came to Hugo Delgado.

Hugo was a good person, deep down under that web of lies that concealed him. Yet, it was the environment that he forced himself into that caused such a dissaray of his character. It was lust and desire that pulled him into this state of uncertainty, and it was uncertainty that took his natural character and pushed it to the bottom of the sea, letting foreign ideas lie closer to the surface of his mind.

It was difficult being last in line, the younger brother waiting for the right moment to shine. Observing his brother's unending success for so many years--what could he do but wait? Wait for his turn? And now it was his turn. His brother hadn't grabbed a spot in his games, and now it was too late for him. He was too old. The pressure was on Hugo, now, to step up and do what his brother never did.

When Hugo had imagined it, years before: when he had thought about what it would be like to finally catch his parents' attention and finally have his chance to prove to them that he was worthy of their pride. In fact, he thought it would be easy. He thought that once his parents finally took notice to him, everything would fall in place from there. Yet, he had failed to think through the amount of work he would have to do and the amount of pressure he would be forced to face. It caused him to have at least a bit more sympathy for his brother.

And now here Hugo was, trying to make buddies with all the rest of the Careers. Even Hugo knew that in District 2, reputation meant everything. What people thougt about you mattered. It was all a game of who had more money, who had more power, and who was going to take the Hunger Games victory next. Yet, things never went the way Hugo planned. He was still the newbie in his trouble-making group of Career friends, and time didn't change that. He's been "in it" for a while, yet even then, he'd always been hanging on the edge for dear life, whereas some of the others stood so effortlessly steady. Hugo was often the one forgotten or uninvited on some of the guys' trouble-making adventures.

Yet, here, he had a chance. He knew that the only things that would get him accepted into his "group of friends" were strength and crime. Confidence was an unsaid requirement. Seeing that this girl was obviously a prostitute, he had his chance. He could arouse some trouble here, and that was just what the other guys wanted to see, right? They wanted to be entertained in all ways possible. "Not at the moment," the girl in front of him said. "But I could, if you're willing to pay the right price." Hugo smiled as she took a step closer. If the guys wanted to see trouble, that's exactly what Hugo would do: make trouble. "Alright," Hugo said, nonchalantly. "But I pay after." He wondered whether this would fly with the girl. But she needed it, didn't she? If she was a prostitute, she obviously needed the money. So she wasn't going to forfeit it to a customer's choice of payment, was she?

Then again, Hugo knew what girls like this were like. Always had to get their way. Stubborn, probably. But if she wanted to be stubborn, Hugo could be stubborn too. Because he was the customer, he had the upper-end in this.

Just to reinforce what he had just said, he added, "I just want to make sure my night is memorable." Truthfully, Hugo didn't really know what to expect. He wasn't a perverted creep like a lot of the other guys he knew. While he often made it look like he knew what he was doing when it came to prostitutes and crime and things of similar origin, he was really quite clueless. Instead, he was just trying to fit in; trying to be like the rest of the guys. He was just a follower, thinking that if he acted like the rest of guys, he would finally find his way to the top. Still learning: that's what he was doing.

And now, he was trying to weasel out of paying this girl for the sake of his own popularity. He imagined the attention he'd get from the guys if he had the chance to brag to them about how he was able to slip away without paying the prostitute. It would take a heck of a lot of procrastination of course. But if it was trouble the guys yearned for, that's exactly what Hugo wanted. Of course, things never went as smoothly in real life as they went in Hugo's head. If they had, he'd already be victor of the Hunger Games.

Hugo took one more glance back at the guys, who were still watching. He assumed that if this girl did agree, they'd probably end up following in curiosity, peeping through a window or something of a sort. They always found ways to butt into each other's lives and get in on the entertainment. Hugo turned his gaze back to the girl, lifting his eyebrows in question as he waited for her response.

OOC: ~~I'm so terrible...and sorry. And terrible. And terribly sorry. D: Omg this post is sosososo late.~~

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Last Edit: Sept 1, 2012 17:44:16 GMT -5 by Deleted

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From Dusk to Dawn [Cici] Jul 4, 2012 23:55:04 GMT -5

Post by Python on Jul 4, 2012 23:55:04 GMT -5

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An agreement always pleased the ear - or rather, allowed Demeter to temporarily disregard the fact that she would be degrading herself for money and instead imagine the wad of cash that would land gracefully into her lap when the act was finished. Food, medical bills, a week without worry; those were the problems to face, the trees standing in her path to satisfaction. With those obstacles in sight Demeter was always hoping silently in desperation that a blessing in the form of a wealthy and lonely man would fall from the heavens and into her claws. As much as the feline despised the hands that mangled her fur and made her cringe with their ~~sometimes~~ disgusting habits, it was a harsh world for an abandoned pet to live in, and therefore stooping to desperate measures was crucial if she wanted to survive. Luckily, the nonchalant teenager before her - a fool wishing to impress his career pack, as if he were aiming to become the alpha wolf - seemed to be leading her toward the victory road forged of gold. Even if his main goal was to capture the pack’s attention, it was a rare occurrence for Demeter to be rejected for her services.
Hook, line, and sinker.

The boy’s claiming that he would pay after wouldn’t be suspicious if it were not one of his initial reactions. Appealing to this condition was of no hassle to her, but his words still remained an eyebrow-raiser. Most clients preferred to pay her after the services; it was only logical, in case she failed to satisfy what the customer expected. She had no issue repeating the process with this boy. With suspicions slightly raised, however, she took a mental note to keep a close eye on him. It was not unheard of for a client to try and slip away from her without making a payment, but unfortunately for them her jade eyes always seemed to capture them before they could make a successful escape, and after a bitter confrontation the heels of her shoes turned into magnets pulling themselves closer to a sensitive target. There was something oddly satisfying about kicking a man in the groin and watching him curl into a ball of pain and tears, but it was a situation she’d rather avoid, especially when dealing with a career. Demeter could act as tough as a box of nails, but she was no career. If he was daring enough to snap back, she could find herself with a bit of a handful in the end.

For both of our sakes, please cough up the cash.

As if to erase any suspicions, the boy claimed that he wanted to experience a memorable night before he offered her any cash. Again, not too concerning, but the mental note was implanted into her skull. There would be no skipping out on pay - she just wouldn’t allow that. Using her body as a disposable doll for free was laughable and too despicable for her to imagine. Sleeping with a man for fun? The thought of it made her want to cackle and vomit at the same time. ”That’s perfectly fine,” Her tone lost a bit of its seductive luster, since they were now talking business rather than decision-making, but still remained quiet and somewhat soothing. ”As long as you pay me by sunrise tomorrow.” Jades flickered to the boys that were watching them as her arms crossed in front of her chest. They seemed too curious for their own good, and if they were itching to follow it was obvious she could not protest - but the thought made her eyes roll. An audience? Was that really necessary?

Stifling a sigh, she glanced back at the boy. Now that they had reached an agreement, it was time to make a brief introduction and decide upon where the business would take place. Swift and simple, that was how Demeter liked things. ”My name is Demeter.” She would waste no time in dwelling upon the subject of names for too long. A first name basis was all that was required in her career, and sometimes clients refused to even offer her a name. She honestly didn't care either way - she never would, really - but it was important to at least reveal her own name if she desired returning customers. ”Do you have a location in mind, or shall we leave that up to me?”

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Last Edit: Jul 4, 2012 23:56:52 GMT -5 by Python

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From Dusk to Dawn [Cici] Aug 4, 2012 19:30:32 GMT -5

Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2012 19:30:32 GMT -5

Hugo Delgado

”That’s perfectly fine,” the girl said seriously. ”As long as you pay me by sunrise tomorrow.” It was all business, really, and that's how the girl made it sound. It was business for both of them, in fact. Hugo only wanted this so he could show the other Careers that he was worthy of their time, and this girl was only in this for the money. But business could fall apart, couldn't it? One side could get it all, and the other could leave with nothing. Sometimes, that's just how it worked, and Hugo greedily hoped that things would work in his favor this time.

Hugo wasn't like Demeter at all: he wasn't a man of business, and he never wanted to be. He couldn't stand that kind of organization, nor that responsibility. He liked to look at things from more of an artistic standpoint, or so he thought. Spontaneous ideas, new events, and new interests to look forward to every day--that's the life that Hugo wanted to live, not one where everything just happened because it had to. That kind of a life sounded boring in Hugo's eyes; he could see it in the girl before him. Beneath her attempts at a seductive attitude, she was almost plain, it seemed--definitely impatient, and obviously just trying to get over with it all.

At the same time, she didn't have the freedom that Hugo did. Hugo was wealthy enough to roam as he pleased and immerse himself in whatever chaos he could. There was always a way out for him. But the girl standing before him--she was obviously just trying to scrape by. Still, Hugo had no sympathy. It was probably her fault anyways.

”My name is Demeter," she said shortly. Hugo nodded, but didn't give his name. He didn't want this girl remembering him after today. A first name was harmless, but he still didn't want to leave any tracks behind him. ”Do you have a location in mind, or shall we leave that up to me?”

Hugo most definitely did not want Demeter in his house, or anywhere familiar for that matter. So, crossing his arms across his chest, he spoke in the most nonchalant way possible. "I'll leave it up to you." Sure, Hugo could pull himself out of anything, but that didn't mean he wanted the remains of tonight to end up in his house. All he was in this for was the crime...and maybe the other part of it too, but not as much. Popularity came before everything. Popularity was not only the key to success, but it was key to getting into the games, and then sponsors, and then support, and then finally, doing what his brother never did.

Hugo realized how ridiculous he was being. It was time to start acting fearless if that's what he actually wanted to be. Or rather...reckless. "I'm Hugo," he said coolly. It was stupid to think that giving a first name could have a negative result. He might as well put it out there if he really wanted popularity.

Hugo hadn't actually planned anything out, but if anything, he knew he wasn't going to pay. Nope. He wouldn't give Demeter a penny.
Screw people's lives up--that's what his friends liked to do when they weren't training. Hugo supposed they were just trying to feel better about themselves and reach the top of the popularity pyramid. He had no room to criticize, because that was, in fact, what he wanted too.

He took a side glance at his friends. They weren't looking his way anymore. Instead, they seemed to be captivated by a new conversation. Hugo realized they were getting bored; if nothing happened soon, they would leave. He wanted Demeter to just hurry it up already, which was ironic, because only a few seconds ago, he'd considered her impatient.

Yet, the next moment, Hugo caught Demeter looking at his friends. When her head finally turned to face him, she was rolling her eyes, obviously annoyed. She knew they would follow along, and the best part was, it wasn't like she could tell them otherwise. Again, Hugo had an advantage here.

"Hey," Hugo said, shrugging naughtily and then bringing his voice down to a whisper. "We all have our reasons."

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