Unexpected Sudden Socialization (Open)

[charlotte]

She found herself sitting on the bleachers once again at lunch time, as she had every day since day one. Day one of transferring to Hircine, that is, which had been a little over three days ago. Of course, she knew she wasn't the only transfer: there had been a mass transfer of students from a place called "Varron", all the way across the country, some time ago. But as far as she knew, she was the only transfer from another school in San Francisco.
Charlotte sighed quietly, deciding to put her thin, dark-rimmed glasses on as she read her book. She flipped the page casually, leaning back on the bleachers, inclining her head slightly to allow her dark bangs to fall away from her left eye.
It still bothered her, coming to one of the more widely populated lunchtime sections of the school, a place of loud delinquents and wannabe fighters. In fact, nearly the entire school seemed to be composed of other students who generally just seemed to want to do whatever they pleased, and beat each other up.
And yet here she was, sitting at the bleachers, watching people walk back and forth, yell at each other occasionally, and touch each other, both in hostility and promiscuity.

She heard a voice near her suddenly, loud and obnoxious, but she ignored it. The voice protested, and she finally turned to see a skinny sophomore guy in a grey t-shirt gesturing at her.
"You can read in the classrooms you know," the other student said, pointing to her book. "This is our part of the bench." The student nodded his head to two other guys behind him, one of which was failing miserably to conceal a package of cigarettes.
Charlotte gave an unimpressed exhale and turned back to her book.

"Get off the bench. I'm not one of those pussies who's afraid to fight a girl," Grey-Shirt remarked, tensing his muscles visibly.
Charlotte turned again to regard him and his group. One of the students winked at her and she closed her book.
"Well if you really are fat enough to need an entire set of bleachers to yourself," she began, rolling her eyes as she stepped down from the empty bleachers, "be my guest."

"You should be more careful about what you say. Lots of people won't let you walk away from that stuff, even if you are a girl." Grey Shirt sneered as he and his friends stepped onto the bleachers, the one who had winked at her giving a low wolf whistle as she began to walk away.

"Maybe you should be more concerned with you hygeine than my grammar," she shot back icily, and walked away through the loud, student filled courtyard, sighing and wondering where she ought to go, with the bleachers no longer her favorite place of solitude.

[Tiao Lei Shen]

Tiao Lei Shen had found himself in need of some fresh air. It was lunch time, but by being on the strict diet he was it never took long to eat. In fact, he found himself with twenty extra minutes to spare today. He spent them walking around the halls, patrolling if you will. It was then he found a group of sophomore "rebels" as they thought themselves to be. They were smoking in the men's restroom, and being the hardasses they were, they didn't listen to Tiao when he told them to extinguish it.

He hated to repeat himself.

He asked again, harder this time as his palms connected with their faces. Less than a minute later Tiao extinguished it himself, leaving one of the three a nice burn scar on his forearm as a remember on why smoking is bad for you.

Tiao inhaled more smoke than he would of liked, which is any, so he decided to go outside and clear out his lungs. Smoking slowed down lung capacity, and thats something Tiao wouldn't have happen to him. As he made his way out there was bickering going on atop the bleachers in front of him. Tiao casually walked up the ramp up to the stairs to go up the bleachers around the students' backs.

He let them finish their discussion until there was enough of a pause for him to intervene. So with a smirk he cut in, folding his arms across his chest as he likely surprised gray shirt and company unless they remained decently aware of their surroundings.

"Pussy who is afraid to fight a girl? Yeah, 'cause nothing is more beastly than thrashing on one." Tiao paused, letting his presence sink in before continuing.

"So here's your options. One, you can apologize to the girl and graciously beg her to take your spot on my bleachers...or you can bleed. You have four seconds to decide before I do for you."

(OOC: I'll leave the NPC control to you in case you wanted this to go in any certain direction.)

[Xenarius]

"Not another fight..." I think to myself as I walk around looking for a place to sit and eat my lunch. "These Hircinians preach well about not fighting but every day I see as much violence here as I did at Varron... and what does it accomplish? Nothing." I walk over towards the confrontation which is getting louder by the second in hopes of being able to mediate, but I did tend to agree with the asian man telling the boys to take their words back. As I got closer I started to realize that this asian man wasn't just some student but one of the pillars of this school. One of those who preaches to us about our violence and then goes and beats the hell out of people all the same. Vissions of Dante's broken body flashed into my mind. It was people like him that made me stop telling other students I came from Varron. I was tired of people thinking that they were better than us.

"Well this should be interesting..." I think as I finally get to them. I walk up to the girl and ask, "Are you alright?" While I wait for a response from her I look over my shoulder to see what the four goons on the bleachers are doing.

[charlotte]

"Why wouldn't I be?" Charlotte replied, a bit more coldly than she would have liked. She turned towards the commotion back at the bleachers, the commotion she had started. She saw a newcomer, someone she didn't recognise, talking to the three sophomores who had just threatened her to leave.
She caught the newcomer - he looked like a senior - saying:
"So here's your options. One, you can apologize to the girl and graciously beg her to take your spot on my bleachers...or you can bleed. You have four seconds to decide before I do for you."

Sighing, she turned to walk back and stood before the bleachers, holding her book loosely at her side as she watched the unfolding scene. She took note of the sudden fear in the sophomore group's eyes as they slowly and carefully put out thier cigarettes and made thier way off the bleachers, mumbling apologies and walking away, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The one who had winked at her earlier would not even make eye contact, and Grey Shirt glared angrily, both at her, and the man.

Charlotte moved back to her original seat on the bleachers, wiping a cigarette butt away, and glancing up at the one who had driven the sophomores off.

"Thanks, I suppose ..." she remarked off-handedly, opening her book with a sigh. "You have some blood on your shirt, by the way ..."

Judging by the way the others had left, she guessed that he was either renknowed for his toughness, or was an important figure in the school hierarchy, or both. At any rate, she had never been a particularly good conversationalist, and she figured the he was probably as bad as the group of smokers, judging from the blood on his shirt, and the fast intimidation techniques.

She stole a glance momentarily, both at the one who had driven the smokers away, and the one who had asked her if she was alright, before turning back to the book, taking her glasses off as she did so.

[Tiao Lei Shen]

Barely two seconds passed before they began to turn and walk down towards the girl in defeat. Tiao's smirk broadened into a grin. While he didn't mind violence in most cases, he always preferred when others listened without it. It gave him more face than giving a beatdown would, and made him look more humane.

Tiao waited a few moments before he began to hop down the bleachers, preferring the quicker way towards the group rather than taking the stairs just off to his side. He met the group a few hops down towards the original seats.

"Oh," Tiao said, looking down to his shirt. "No worries, it's not mine." he replied, half brushing off her thanks and half about the blood comment.

(OOC: Short, not much for me to go on.)

[charlotte]

(OOC: Sorry about that)

"So do you enjoy beating people up?" Charlotte remarked, referring to his almost casual way of wiping the blood off, not looking at the man. She pretended to read her book now, feeling a sense of unease, especailly due to his seemingly light one. However, the words simply didn't seem to want to flow anymore, so she simply closed quickly with a sigh, placing it beside her as she watched the busy courtyard instead.

At least they decided to leave quietly ... she thought, brushing a lose strand from her bangs back and fidgeting to make herself more comfortable on the hard bleachers.

"Those guys looked genuinely afraid of you ..." she stated, now almost curious, but still unsure how to start a good converstation, much less go without insulting someone in the process. "Do you have a name? One that I should be aware of?"

She stared out, waiting for a response, and moved one foot up, onto the bleacher surface beside her, wrapping her arms around her bent leg. There was little she actually knew about the heirarchies and politics of Hircine, and not much she cared to know about it. She was unsure why she had suddenly become so curious about it, but here she was, trying to make conversation ...

[Xenarius]

"I was only trying to be nice..." I mutter as she walks away from me back to the bleachers.

"It looks as if Tiao has this handled and she doesn't seem to want to talk to me at all..." I think to myself turning to walk away again and go find somewhere to finally eat my lunch quickly so that I can get to class... "Sometimes I hate this stupid school... actually I hate it a lot of the time... " I mutter under my breathe as I start to walk away.

(ooc: blech... I always seem to have trouble with leaving posts)

[Tiao Lei Shen]

Tiao snickered, looking at the girl in surprise as he was taken aback from her comment. "Well," He said taking a seat next to her as he looked off in the distance, following her lead. "Do you always criticize those who help you out?" Tiao asked a bit rhetorically, not caring if she gave him an answer or not to the question.

"Yeah, I'd imagine its one you should be aware of. Tiao Lei Shen, pillar of Hircine High." Tiao paused, letting that sink in. He didn't offer her a handshake not out of rudeness, but out of doubt that she would shake his hand. She seemed the type that would brush such actions off, whether that was the case or not.

"And it doesn't matter whether I enjoy it or not." Tiao stated plainly, keeping his gaze outwards. "It comes in the job description. If I couldn't handle a few scrapes here and there, whether they are mine or not, then I wouldn't make a good enforcer would I?"He asked, finally looking at her in hopes she would do the same.

"So what's your deal then? Whether people have seen me or not, they usually know who I am by reputation and able to pick me out. So I'm guessing you're new here, and unlikely you transfered from Varron. Those guys definately know who I am by now." Tiao said the last part with a hint of distaste, quickly fading back into a smile as he looked back to the girl.

"You got a name to share, or just more dry remarks?" Tiao asked, an inviting smirk on his face resurfacing.

[charlotte]

And there it was, with his comment about her dry remarks. Not many people bothered to ask her why she was so sarcastic all the time, not that she would likely tell them anyway. She had half a mind to leave another sarcastic remark and just walk away, but something that Tiao had said sparked her interest, and she had already committed herself to continue this conversation for as long as she could. Besides, he didn't seem that annoying or loud, unlike the trio of smokers ...

Charlotte paused, recalling the many things she had heard since arriving at Hircine. Pillars, like in most schools, were enforcers, like Tiao had said, and probably did have to deal with a lot of fights, again as Tiao had said.

"Sorry ..." she mumbled, still a bit more coldly than she had intended, shooting him another glance, taking in his posture and appearance once more. "... I just ..." she sighed, struggling to remain as friendly as possible, while struggling to explain herslef. She had always had trouble trying to explain herself to anyone, especially her actions and emotions, preferring to stay introverted.

"I'm Charlotte ... Charlotte Anders," she stammered finally, unable to finsih her previous sentence. "I transferred here a few days ago from another school on the other side of the city."

She paused again, managing a thin ghost of a smile as she turned her head slightly to face him, her bangs falling back to loosely half-cover one eye once more.

"So what's the story with you and the Varronites?" She started, saying the first topic that came to her mind, hoping to continue a conversation. "I hear there was a mass transfer of students from the same school across the country ... so what's the deal between you and them?"

[Tiao Lei Shen]

Tiao gave Charlotte a bemused look as she apologized and began what he could only assume was an explanation. She was a strange girl, seemingly cold by nature though she didn't look like she meant to be. She was a cute girl, Tiao definately noticed that, but she didn't show off her features. This sparked Tiao's interest more, for the one's that were easy weren't worth the efforts, or rather the lack of them.

Anders... Tiao thought to himself. Why does that name ring a bell?

Dismissing the thought as unimportant Tiao noticed a hint of a smile crawl its way upon the girl's face. He smiled back at her, the look on his face almost that of an old man's when asked to tell a story.

"Oh the Varronites..." Tiao started, shaking his head from side to side ever so slowly. "Well you aren't wrong. Yeah, they all came from a school up in New York that was closed down due to extreme amounts of violence and gang socialization." Tiao paused, giving her adequate time to process the information before continuing.

"The way majority of them are so violence oriented. There are a few I can stand, like Ein Gilsin and the Williams kid until recently. They have authority issues. The first day here, two girls made a scene during orienation, and later that day I was attacked by one of their champions, the one who just won the recent tournament Odin Reeves."

"Even the ones who aren't all about the fights still cause trouble one way or another. They like to debate about a system that will never change, and look to make out the school hiearchy as the badguys when we merely want to keep the peace. They aren't satisfied unless there is a revolution that leads into chaos and anarchy. And since those two things are completely against what me and mine stand for, you can imagine we don't get along too well."

[charlotte]

Charlotte had to admit ... Tiao had made a compelling arguement, even if she didn't agree with his basic "fighting fire-with-fire" reasoning. But he was right: there was really no other way to deal with those who would wish turn peace inside out no matter what.

"Do you know why they would want to defy your system?" she asked, almostly slyly, wanting to hear the flip side of the arguement before making and judgements. After all, she was neither a Varronite or a native Hircinian.

"I know about the corporal punishment and the student monitering systems," she went on, almost patronisingly this time. "I want to know about here, and now; why they oppose this system, this school."

She noted his suddenly look, internally bemused at his strange, elderly quality with which he spoke. There was a lot more this Tiao kept hidden, Charlotte surmised with another sideways glance. There was probably a lot more to him than his apparant toughness and - she guessed from the look the trio of smokers had given him - fighting prowess. No, he was probably a lot smarter and wiser than she had initially thought, at first glance. But that made it all the worse, knowing that, while also knowing his position as 'pillar'.
And from what Tiao had told her, he recieved a lot of opposition from students, especially those originally from Varron. If Tiao was a target for some violence and opposition, could those same people make her a target, just for 'socializing' with him? Not willing to allow such thoughts to unnerve her, she shook it off, hoping he had not seen her hidden reservations and fears.

"Why did you choose to do this?" she asked, without waiting for him to respond to her earlier question, her tone changing drastically (and rather unwillingly) from frosty and borderlining cruel to almost soft and unsure. "Why did you choose to threaten those guys for the sake of these bleachers? Why do you fight at all? What will it matter when you've graduated and left this school far behind? How is all this going to help your life be better, further along? How will it amount to anything more than some long-healed broken bones, a weak hip, and a few stories to tell your grandkids?"

She sighed, catching her change in tone and reverting back to the icy wall of sarcasm. As much as her speech had wanted her to say You're no better than the punks you drove off, she stopped herself.
"You fight to preserve peace and stave off anarchy, while other people just like you fight to create chaos, which makes you have to fight them all the more. It's circular. If you fight to stop all the fighting, then what's the point?"
She turned away from Tiao again, looking straight across the school grounds, rubbing her top and bottom lip together slightly, faintly tasting lip gloss(which was weird, since she rarely wore anything on her lips), and brushing a few strands of hair from her face after a low gust of wind had passed.

[Tiao Lei Shen]

"I imagine its all about control. If they don't have complete, they must tear down society's walls. They don't like being told what to do in any fashion, even when its just for their safety and benefit." Tiao speculated. He didn't know for sure, as when Leon Loire discussed his hatred for the system he managed to say little in a large amount of words.

"I think its all just a matter of timing and location. They tore their old school apart, thrashing through a place with no hiearchy to dilute the situation. They've been placed here, and now they want to repeat the same thing. Its rather parasitic once you think about it, moving from one school to the next, killing it from the inside before continuing on somewhere else." Tiao nodded slightly, inwardly proud of his comparison as he felt it was an accurate portrayal.

The pillar was taken off guard as Charlotte's tone softened quite drastically. He paused, unsure of where to start answering. After a moment he smiled, looking Charlotte in the eye deeply before changing his gaze outwards.

"Well, I suppose this would be the part where I show how noble I am. Standing against a mass of rebels, holding down the fort so all can be safe for a new day." Tiao paused, smiling softly towards her before looking back to the field. "But that would be a load of bull. Why did I choose this? It's simple...its all about power."

Pausing again, Tiao took a moment to regain his thoughts. His last statement would surely leave an impression, though probably not the one he intended. Taking a moment to think it through, Tiao opened his mouth again as he looked back to Charlotte.

"If I don't have it, someone else will. I was as bad as the rest of them a few years back, but thanks to the Captain I found more of a purpose. I've had the power, but no method to use it but for chaos. Going with the system gives me a means and method to dish out my own justice. Those pissants? They threatened to beat up a girl, making it even worse for them trying to make it sound like it was the hardass thing to do. It pissed me off. If they would mess up a pretty face like yours just for a bench, then what extent would they go for something bigger? By kicking the habit from them early, one way or another, its just shaping them to live more normally and accept a life that will flow in society."

Tiao Lei Shen sighed, taking a moment to get a breather and allow Charlotte to process. He kicked up his feet on the other bleacher, crossing the ankles as he leaned back against the seat behind him, folding his hands behind the cap on his head.

"I'm not much of a long-term thinker to tell you the truth, but there are some few things I do know. If I don't fight then so many others would. Even if those punks had gotten this seat, don't think for a moment they wouldn't exploit you at any other chance they get. You finally refuse? Well, let's just say it wouldn't be anywhere near as pleasant looking at you then as it is now." Tiao added with a hint of flirtation, quickly getting back to the point. "You can think I'm talking all this out of my ass, I really don't care. At times it may sound like I'm all about having the control myself and at others it may sound like that noble garbage, I really don't know.

But there are worse things in the world than weak hips when you get old."

[charlotte]

Charlotte smirked inwardly, turning back to face Tiao, the smirk making its way outwards to form on her lips as she regarded him. It wasn't a cold smirk or a snobbish one, but rather a surpisingly warm one.

"I don't think you're talking out of your ass," she assured, the smirk still well defined. "Everyone does what they can to survive. For some, that means conforming others to thier way of seeing things." She shrugged, the smirk disappearing, and she leaned back on her elbows the bleacher behind her, kicking up her legs and crossing ankles as Tiao had.

She caught the flirting in his speech, again, blushing inwardly, but not allowing it to show. It hadn't been the first time guys tried to flirt with her, but she still wasn't quite used to it. Although, she had to admit, Tiao seemed to have good enough intentions, and wasn't that bad looking himself ...

Charlotte shook it off quickly, returning to the discussion (which was quickly becoming philosophical). She tilted her head slightly, putting on a bemused, calculatingly curious expression as she spoke.

"How do you know they could have beaten me up?" she asked lightly, almost patronisingly joking. "Maybe I'm an incredible martial artist; you've just met me, how would you know for sure?"
She supressed a chuckle and switched gears with the discussion once more.

"So you're saying, basically, that there are two ways to stop exploitation from little pissants and 'rebels'," she counted. "One would be to hang around with people like you, and the other would be to become someone like you."

Charlotte paused, allowing both herself and Tiao some time to analyze and process, as she considered her next statement.

"So how many 'pillars' are there around here?"

[Tiao Lei Shen]

Charlotte smirked, taking Tiao's words for what they were as she leaned back with him. She seemed to be comfortable with him in the least, sitting back with him in relaxation. She continued talking to Tiao, acting slightly defensive towards her own abilities as a fighter. Tiao assumed most of it was her merely joking around with him, but he knew that at least some small part of her had taken a shot to the ego.

"I can't know for sure. Not until I see you fight at least. I was just giving an example you could relate to you know? I don't doubt your capabilities Charlotte, but we can't all be the next Jackie Chan." He said with a grin and a wink, turning his head towards the young girl.

"Those are two options yes..." Tiao trailed off, "you could hang with the enforcers, I wouldn't mind. You could act like one yourself, but thats a fine line to walk." Tiao paused again, the hints of a smile on his face fading as his features grew grim.

"But, no. That's not what I was saying. If I do this it means people like you won't have to ever resort to violence just to carry out your everyday life. I'm meant for battle, its in my blood. Not everyone is, and I wouldn't want to force it on anyone. But at the same time, those same people I don't force battle on, when they get out of line I don't lose any sleep putting them back in that line. Regardless if I like someone or not its in my job description to make their stay that of a peaceful one. It just turns out this time I did help out one I do like." Tiao finished on a much lighter note, smiling softly towards Charlotte before he answered her other question.

"Four in all. In order it goes: The School Captain Darren Blayne, then myself, the infamous gambler Kurtz, and the recently appointed Varronite Ein Gilsin."

[charlotte]

"Truthfully? I haven't gotten into a fight since middle school," Charlotte managed a chuckle. "My mother ... she was an high level educator then - she teaches elementary school now, but a few decades ago, before I was born, she did some work with a committe on some reforms or something ... she was understandably upset when she heard about it. That was my last fight."

She sighed, staring up at the afternoon sky, wishing she had worn a scarf and not just a simple v-necked red shortsleeve shirt.

"I actually heard a few guys say some funny things about the way I moved during the fight ..." she grinned and then trailed off.

"Anyway ... I hate people who act like they own the world," Charlotte said, abruptly changing the subject, as she frequently did. "They annoy me almost as much as all those effortless happy-go-lucky frolickers that you see wandering about town."

"As for you guys," she said, giving Tiao a brief sidelong glace before inclining her head fully to regard him. "If you're any indication as to what the rest of your group is like, I think I might actually end up hanging around you pillars more often."

Then her earlier concerns kicked in: "If Tiao was a target for some violence and opposition, could those same people make her a target, just for 'socializing' with him?"
The thought was more prevailant now, and made her genuinely worry. After all, she couldn't hang around the pillars 24/7, and eventually people like Grey Shirt and his group would catch on to that. And then there was the possibility of blackmail.
What if people like Grey Shirt, or worse, used her to get back at Tiao or the other pillars for something?
Those thoughts, however, sparked an interesting question within her, and something she had never really felt before, not really.


Ambition.


"What if people decide to target me for socializing with you?" she voiced, nearly breathless, half in fear, half in anticipation of her ultimate question. "What if they decide to use whatever friendship or aquaintence we have against you?"

Without waiting for a response, she went on:
"I guess what I'm saying, is that you may not be the best group to get involved in, but you're the only one I don't find incredibly obnoxious yet," she offered a rare, wry grin, "but I think ... I'm willing to take that risk for the sake of a ..." she found trouble saying the word, "... a friendship."

She blinked, looking him squarely in the eyes, maintining all seriousness as she delivered her final question, hoping sincerely that he wouldn't laugh in her face.

"How do you become a 'pillar'?"

[Tiao Lei Shen]

"That's funny, its completely opposite to my family. My father demands warriorship in his only son. I've always been on a strict diet and training schedule. You know I've never had chocolate or a pepsi?" Tiao paused, nodding his head as he finished speaking. "Oh, but don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. I'm proud of my athleticism. If something is easy to do then its not really worth doing."

"Well, don't expect them to be as great as me." Tiao started, giving a small wink to Charlotte before continuing. "Kurtz is a fun guy. He's known to party from time to time, even if its just to make a couple thousand bucks. Ein on the other hand seems like the most happening thing he does is sit in a dark room. Maybe turn on a blacklight if he's feeling really daring." Tiao smiled, hoping Charlotte would be able to appreciate his humor even if she wasn't familiar with whom he was speaking of.

"And the Captain? Well, Darren is my best friend and all but he's that quiet type who always has his nose stuck in some book unless he's throwing out dry sarcasm." Tiao nodded his head in agreement with his own words, widening his eyes for a moment as he came to a realization before turning back to Charlotte. "Uh...nothing like you at all."

Tiao stared at Charlotte in all seriousness as she kept talking, listening intently to all she had to say. When she was finished Tiao put on a bemused smile, pushing his back off the bleacher behind him. He turned to face Charlotte who was still leaning back at this time. He reached out with his left hand, gently pushing the hair out of her eye as he replied.

"Don't worry too much about it. The only one's who want to take on our hiearchy seem to be the dumb ones, therefore making any plan past smash and bash none too dangerous." Tiao explained in attempts to calm any worries, sending her a warm smile. "I try to keep all students relavitively safe, but I guess I can keep an eye on you a little bit longer. And hey, you're pleasant to look at, so we both win." He said again, throwing her another wink.

"Pillarship huh? Well, to start out its usually being appointed by the principal or captain of the school. After that, by challenging a pillar to a fight you take their title. If you're victorious."

[charlotte]

Charlotte felt her mouth fall open a crack as Tiao brushed her hair away from her face lightly. She had made no move against it, and had, in fact, felt suddenly limp. Suddenly, she had no idea what to do, or what to say; she had never let anyone touch her before, physically or emotionally, and Tiao had just done so in both ways simultaneously.

It was a strange sensation, one unfamiliar, buried under years of introverted bottling and sarcastic coldness. Normally, she would never have even let someone come so close to her as to brush her hair away from her face, which was, in itself, an intimate and warm motion. But she had just sat there, watching as Tiao did it.

She turned again, confused and a bit awestruck, struggling to keep herself from blushing as she gazed out towards the courtyard.

(Why didn't I see that coming? He's been flirting with me the entire time! What's wrong with me?)

Charlotte blinked and struggled against stammering.

"... I ... don't really tend to socialize much ..." she admitted. "In fact, you're actually the first person I've bothered to ..." she paused.

(Bothered to what?)

"So ..." she half gulped, changing the subject. "... becoming a pillar is all about fighting then. What about blackmail?" Charlotte asked, almost slyly, her comfort level returning to tolerable levels.

"Or someone who's smart enough to be able to take the title and hold it without the need to fight? What then?"

[Tiao Lei Shen]

Tiao watched Charlotte with a smile on his face. She was nervous and shy, that much Tiao could tell for sure. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, so hopefully she didn't take offense to his actions. However, seeing the girl who was so cold only a few minutes ago feel embarrassed from such a small movement was ironic.

"I suppose that could work." Tiao's smile faded into more of a look of deep thought. He straightened his back, making sure that his upperbody wasn't leaning too far over into Charlotte's personal space if he was unwanted.

"Blackmail is a dangerous business to get into. The possibility to take that title is high if they find the right thing, but they would find keeping it to be rather difficult. They would definately need some fighting experience to hold it, and even then they'd be dealing with a super pissed off ex-pillar afterwards. We're not exactly the type you would want to be blackmailing; let's leave it at that."

Tiao paused, a sly grin writhing up his face as he finished speaking.

"It's not just these manly muscles that makes us pillars. Some school hiearchies may be made up of the strongest, others of the smartest...but at Hircine we're both."

[charlotte]

Charlotte gave a slight laugh at Tiao's last comment, her expression surprisingly light as noted him moving back a ways, giving her space, which she appreciated.

"Balance is good," she said, unable to think of much else to say, a slow grin making it's way across her face, despite her best efforts to keep it withdrawn.

"Well what if, for arguement's sake, I wanted to be a pillar," Charlotte said, shifting once again on the hard bleachers to become more comfortable. "And since you're right, and I'm really not that much of a fighter," she grinned, "I decide to resort to blackmail."

Charlotte snapped her hand upwards, snatching Tiao's hatt from his head and placing it upon her own with surprising speed and dexterity. She tapped the bill a few times before inclining her head to look at him once more, brushing her hair back as a few strands had blown out of place when she had moved to steal the hat.

"Alright, so here is how this is going to work. I'm holding both your hat and Charlotte Anders hostage. In return for pillarship, I'll give you your hat back, and as long as you don't try and oust me, Ms. Anders remains unharmed."

She grinned again and crossed her arms over her chest smugly, awaiting Tiao's solution to her hypothetical question. It must have been a record for her actually managing so many smiles in one day ... but she did feel comfortable around Tiao, much more than she was probably ready to admit.

[Tiao Lei Shen]

"This is a dilemna." Tiao stated plainly, nodding his head as he watched Charlotte put it down on her own head. "I do like my hat." He said with a smirk, ignoring that she said her own name on purpose to irk her.

"But if we're relying on blackmail then this is how it'll go." Tiao said slyly, starting to lean in on Charlotte. "You'll give my hat back and return Ms. Anders safely, and if you don't then we're going to get up close and personal, maybe forcing me to lip wrestle with you." Tiao said, continuing to inch closer to Charlotte.

"So you can return the hat and Ms. Anders to my care, or you can take your chances. Either way, I get what I want. What about you?" He flirted, continuing to hover in front of her, getting closer every moment she hesitated.

(OOC: Sorry for length, my reply to your fire stunt wore me out )