we're the new face of failure (Costin)

[Aiden Mumble]

Aiden prided herself on being able to avoid awkward situations with general ease. Don't walk in step with a stranger in the hallway, don't end the conversation then realize your headed in the same direction with the person you just stopped talking too, just generally don't be stupid and these situations were relatively easy to avoid. Even if a moment like such was thrust upon her she usually didn't find them so intense as most did. She was mellow enough to not feel so awkward. If conversations had long pauses or things of that nature, she generally wasn't bothered like most would be. Still, there was one situation that was sometimes just impossible to avoid and nearly always intensely awkward. The elevator. On those days when your were running late, or your class was five stories up, the lift seems like the best option, but then you get inside. Its okay if your lucky enough to ride by yourself, but usually there is always a few people to stand around and look anywhere but their faces. Heaven forbid theres like twenty of you and you have to touch, or, even worse, only two of you. And of course Aiden had managed to find herself in this situation on one of the few days she had decided to ride the lift.

She was running late and, contrary to popular belief, Aiden really cared about her grades and getting to class on time. She had a class on the third floor and with her heavy bag, she sprinted toward the lift without question. This turned out to be an awful decision really. Turns out that, after she'd slipped past the closing doors, pressed the corresponding button for her floor, and turned around, she was not alone. Not only that, but there was only one other person on the lift. An almost infamous person for being grumpy and irritating, Costin Dracula. This should be a fun time then. She dropped her bag to her side and took him in. What a pleasant surprise she remarked too sweetly.

[Costin Dracula]

Costin avoided awkward conversations by talking to as few people as he possibly could, and irritating those he did have to speak to, to the point where they avoided him as much as they could after that. Up until this point, it had worked rather well. Most people didn't want to talk to him, and he was just fine with that. He didn't want to form any bonds at this stupid school; he wasn't going to be here long enough for them to matter, after all. Besides, no one here was worth forming bonds with anyway, even if he'd been looking for places to form them.

He stepped into the lift, and narrowly managed to avoid thinking that if he were a vampire, he wouldn't have to rely on slow lifts to get him to the top of the building. Slow lifts with...annoying girls inside them. Ugh, this girl. He'd seen her here and there, usually trying to astound people with her straight-up wit or bluntness or whatever it was...or at least, that was the impression he'd gotten.

And now she was already about to lay into him for...well, for nothing, he was just standing there and she came into the lift and started making sarcastic comments about him. Why was that necessary? He was perfectly content to ignore her completely, pretend that she didn't exist. His world would be such a nicer place if people like her didn't exist.

"I do not share your optimism." he told her coolly.

[Aiden Mumble]

She stared at him for a few moments after he spoke, trying to decide if he was really stupid enough to not get her sarcasm or just being snarky. She guessed the latter. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes slightly, looking him up at down a few time, weighing weather a conversation with this kid was really worth her time. He was admittedly very handsome, not that she'd tell him that or that he needed to be told. She was pretty well convinced he already enjoyed his looks well enough without being complemented. Costin Dracula. Dracula, Dracula, why was that important? Oh yeah! He's the kid that goes around moping about not being a vampire all the time, one of his fathers being the infamous Count Vlad Dracula. A vampire wannabe. She'd have thought he'd be dressed in something a little more gothic...with eye liner or something. She was just wondering weather or not he drank blood despite the fact that he was still human when she decided that her time could be well worth this conversation.

She nodded slightly, a tiny smirk appeared on her lips as she crossed her arms and leaned back against the lift. Ouch she remarked, carrying on her sugary act by placing a hand over her heart. Her blue eyes stared him down for another few seconds before speaking again You should try it sometime, optimism, its good for you she had a pretty solid feeling that Costin was never optimistic. She was a huge optimist herself, but with parents like hers, it was hard not share at least a little bit of their hope. She watched him closely for a response, this might be worth it just to take him down a few notches. Aiden wasn't fond of irritating people, even if she tended to fall under that category herself. She tried to keep her irritating directed toward other irritators at least, she'd rather not be a flat out bully....but sometimes things were far too amusing to pass up.

[Costin Dracula]

Costin did not know nearly so much about Aiden as she knew about him, but if he had, it probably wouldn't have changed much. He probably would have had a thing or two to say about her ignorance regarding vampires, though. If ever there was a human expert on all things vampire, it was probably Costin...seeing as he'd been raised as one without all the perks. It had nothing to do with goth clothes or eyeliner, and Costin wouldn't have been caught dead wearing eyeliner anyway.

"Forgive me if I don't," he said shortly. Ugh, why was she trying to talk to him? These sorts of experiences were always extremely irritating to Costin. He just wanted to get to the next floor, he didn't want to share his life with some random irritating girl on the lift. Especially not one who wanted to tell him to be optimistic, sarcastically or not. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to direct my mental energy towards something more interesting, like the pattern on this hideous carpet." He had just turned his glance downward on said carpet when the lift stopped. The doors didn't open, and Costin glared at them in irritation.

"What did you do to it?" he asked, even though he had the sinking feeling that there was nothing either of them had done or could do to stop the lift or start it again. He pressed the button for the third floor impatiently with two fingers.

Why? Why him? What had he ever done that was so...well, what deity had he ever insulted that he deserved this?

[Aiden Mumble]

Aiden smiled, clearly amused but his utter distaste for this entire situation. She had a bad habit of being a bit of a bully at times, especially toward people who she was convinced weren't particularly nice to others themselves. She watch him with his emo kid vibe and this air that made you sure that he thought he was better than all this. Too good to be a human, she could almost hear him whining about it though she'd really only heard rumors. Aiden had an ear for gossip, not so much intentionally as the simply fact that she was prone to do more listening than talking when it came to such things. It would seem that a lot of people talk about Costin, or, at least, know about him enough to whisper things about him. It probably said something about Aiden that she was judging him so quickly, but every move he made only confirmed her assumptions further.

I'll have to think about it she returned in response to his sarcastic plea, still smiling. She took a breath in preparation to say something further, something about his vampire obsession, when the lift stopped and astonishment cut her thoughts short. She opened her mouth yet again to speak only to be cut short a second time, this time by Costin. She tossed him a well deserved glare as he reached for the number three button and pushed. Nothing happened. Okay okay. So she was stuck in an elevator somewhere between the 2nd and third floor. Her initial worry was how she was going to get out, but then she remember that she had a cell phone in her back and she could easily get help. Now that that was no longer a worry she debated weather she wanted to call now or later. Poor snotty kid. Stuck in an elevator. Oh yeah, the call could wait.

Aiden chuckled and leaned back again against the wall It's Aiden she said finally.

[Costin Dracula]

He was better than all of this. He was better than this place, better than the silly little people who inhabited it, and he was certainly a lot better than a stupid lift that broke when you rode in it. What was a lift's sole purpose in life? To carry people. If it couldn't do that, what was it even doing besides taking up space that could have been occupied by a reliable staircase?

"Don't bother." he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, staring at the pattern on the interior of the lift like he was actually interested in it. He was not in the slightest bit amused by this, and he would have dialed for help if he had actually carried a cell phone. He didn't bother having a telephone - even in his room - because he didn't want to talk to his parents until they sent him a letter to tell him he could come home, and it wasn't as if he had a whole lot of friends who'd want to call him and invite him to parties and such.

She was introducing herself? What did she think, that he was actually interested in talking to her? That he'd jump at the chance to make a friend in an elevator?

"I don't care." he said, curtly. "I know you're probably thinking some stupid girlish thing, like perhaps we'll spend some time in here purely by coincidence and happenstance, and then later in our lives we'll be the best of friends and look back on it and say 'Oh, isn't it amusing that we met in an elevator and never could have expected that we'd be so close, ha ha ha, bee eff effs.' but I assure you I have no interest whatsoever in speaking to you, much less pursuing any kind of friendship with you, so please leave me alone."

[Aiden Mumble]

She knew it was wrong, to find this entertaining to the point of stifling laughter, but really what are the chances?! What are the chances that she would get stuck in an elevator with this snotty, uptight, arrogant man, placed in this perfect situation to get under his skin. He deserved it didn't he? Just listen to him?! Was he always this polite, or only on the rare occasions when he was forced into small spaces with people that didn't give a sh*t? She considered her next move as he stared at the wall with a moody expression. Jesus, you'd think he was PMSing if it weren't for his undeniable manly features. Although, maybe with a little eyeliner....never mind. He was talking again and it was hard to picture anything besides a insufferable prat as his English accent, peppered it mockery, graced her ears.

Hmmm she hummed a single amused note as an initial response to his clever little monologue. Not a chance, kid she thought with a smile as she untwisted her arms and moved so she was in front of him. Her eyes flashed with a dangerous light, a taunting smile on her lips. ooooohshe whined slightly, fake disappointed riddling her face. She guessed this was an awful idea, but, really what was he going to do? She'd like so see him squirm. But I was so hoping to be bee eff effs! she said, taking his hands in hers, narrowing her eyes slightly and silently daring him to make the next move. Anyone that had any idea of Aiden personality would know that she isn't generally the OMG BEE EFF EFF type, but how much did Costin know? This might just be the best way to irritate him. Lets see which buttons do what.

[Costin Dracula]

Costin very quickly came to the conclusion that she was just doing her very best to piss him off. Of course, what she probably didn't realize was that she could accomplish that by just existing in the same space with him; she didn't have to put any special effort into it. But she certainly was going above and beyond the call of duty here, wasn't she?

Oh, and she was touching him. So not all right. So very, very, very not all right. Costin drew his hands back, not sharply like he'd been burned, but almost daintily, like he'd touched something slimy and bacteria-ridden.

"Do not touch me," he said, enunciating every word clearly just in case she got the bizarre idea that he was playing hard to get. "Please." He shoved his hands into his pockets, and inched towards the wall, leaning against it and looking away from her at the floor. Ugh, she was one of those touchy feely people, probably. "Just...stay on your side of the lift, and I'll stay on mine, and we don't need to speak to one another at all. I'm sure they'll have it working again in no time. In the meantime, why don't you see how long you can hold your breath?"

Ugh, what a singularly irritating girl. Why did these things always happen to him? Was he suffering some kind of karmic backlash from his fathers' crimes, because the universe couldn't touch them?

[Aiden Mumble]

Oh he didn't like that did he? Between the look on his face and the way he pulled his hands away like he was sure that even a million tons of bleach couldn't wash away the filth she'd just wiped on his hands, she was pretty sure she was staggering in the right direction. Maybe he was a germophobe. Oh God. She was actually a little ashamed at the thought of all the fun she could have with that. There were locks, ropes, and several pounds of dirt involved, but she had a hunch that he wasn't completely that type. Maybe she was just being stereotypical again, but she always pictured germophobic people obsessively neat and compulsively nervous and, while he certainly was neat, he was definitely not nervous. Bothered though, he was clearly bothered. You'd think she'd just fed him some rotten fruit rather then touched him and, anyway, deathly afraid of germs or not, he didn't much like touching so, naturally, she'd be doing more than that. At the moment, however, she simply watched him with an amused smirk as he moved to the other side of the elevator and began to speak.

He was really making it difficult for her to not burst out laughing, what with his high and mighty act and his little rant. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head slightly in reaction to his last suggestion. I have a better idea she spoke simply, closing the space between them and promptly placing a hand on his chest. It wasn't anything really suggestive, just like she was one of those really friendly types that always were touching the people they talked to. Aiden reflected on those times she'd be subject to such characters with frustration, but hey, if it worked on her it might work on him too. She was betting on it. Lets... she began, clearly making this up as she goes. She looked him over, patting his chest lightly as she tried to determine what would be the most awful thing to suggest they discuss. oh I know! she said with the slightest hint of her mischievous intentions leaking through her words. Let's talk about our feelings. she grinned wickedly. you seem so down, you should really let these things out she added, nodding her head with mock concern riddling her features. Then she thought of something else to step up the awful. Do you need a hug? she suggested with her arms spreading wide and her low lip pushed out like she was gazing upon a frightened puppy rather than a irritated young man.

[Costin Dracula]

In spite of the fact that Costin was pretty sure she was just acting like a weirdo in order to freak him out, she was actually doing a fairly good job of it. Why was she touching him? Costin wasn't used to being touched, wasn't used to receiving any sort of physical affection from anyone. His fathers were plenty affectionate with one another, but they weren't very big on hugging Costin himself...which was all right with him because on the few occasions there was physical contact between them, he was swiftly reminded of how cold they were, both physically and in an emotional sense. They were distant, they were different than he was, and the more they tried to act like a family, the more Costin was reminded of how utterly superior they were. They had their forever to spend together, and his life...his life was a passing thing that was probably nothing more than the blink of an eye from their perspective.

Costin pushed at her hand, shying away from the touch. He didn't have his father's dark, seductive nature. He wasn't comfortable with touching or being touched and he certainly did not want a hug from her. Nor did he want to talk about his feelings. Somehow he doubted she really did either, and he had to remind himself that she was just trying to get at him.

"I do not need a hug," he hissed. "Stop touching me. I'm serious. I can report you for sexual harassment if you continue."

He was about as far into the corner of the lift as he could possibly move, and he had no desire to be chased around the car by her, so he held still and stayed ready to ward off any more touching-attacks.

"Obviously you're terribly insecure," he said, hoping he could distract her. "Perhaps you're lonely and desperate for love, and you're looking for it anywhere you can find it? A lift is a rather pathetic place to start, I have to say."

[Aiden Mumble]

Oh God. He was making it super difficult not to laugh. Who does he think he is? Some high and mighty royal? Probably. IT was actually very plausible that he was, she was a duchess herself technically, but what meaning did that really have. She she had an extra little fancy thing to say with her name, but it wasn't like it made her more special. This guy obviously didn't have the same view point about such things. She tried to remember if she ever heard anything about him being royal. His father was a Count....what did that even mean? There was King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Duke, Duchess.....did Count come after that? Or was that a whole different system? Anyway....it didn't matter. She willed herself to focus of Costin's squirming instead of his possible royalty.

She had to purse her lips to keep from smirking as he shoved her hand away like some little bratty school girl. She raised her eyebrows at his threat. oh-ho? she slipped a chuckle in there as she questioned this. For touching your chest? she asked incredulously, losing her character slightly for the time being. Because clearly she was trying to get into her pants, of course thats what he thought. Typical. She'd lowered her hands by now, given up on the idea of getting an hug, not that she really wanted one anyway. She was just thinking what her next move should be, slowly closing the space between them to add to his discomfort, when he spoke again and she stopped.

Oh? he was going to go there was he? She cocked an eyebrow. He was not a bad player at this game then. If thats what you call it when people engage in some awkward game of harassment. She stared at him, just thinking for a moment. There were several things she could do here. She could buy into it and get irritated, which she was a little, or should could throw back at him. The latter sounded more satisfying in the long wrong, despite the fact thats was a little bummed she couldn't just punch him in the face and be done with it.

She raised her hands to communicate a sort of false surrender whoa, slow down crazy! she she said with mock concern. I thought we were bee eff effs, now were lovers?! You need to calm down and look over your options, kid, I'm not sure you could handle this she said, gesturing to herself and struggling oh so very hard to keep her composure. This was ridiculous, even for her, but oh it was so funny.

[Costin Dracula]

He was nobility! That was who he thought he was! He was the son of a Count, which made him a Viscount or something at least, even though he had no idea what he might be Viscount of. That didn't matter! People shouldn't be poking him in the chest and getting up in his space like he'd invited them there. He could handle insults, he could handle sharp words and all that, because he could certainly hand those things out, but he didn't go around prodding people's chests and invading their personal space the way she'd been doing to him.

"We are not lovers," he said, thoroughly repulsed. "First of all, I have no interest in lovers of any sort, I am not long for this particular life and I have no need for a lover at this time. Secondly, even if I were to choose one, you disgust me in every way and I would rather die a virgin than take you to bed."

Perhaps he shouldn't have admitted that. Ugh. People put so much stock in these things, Costin wasn't sure why. He wasn't going to go bed some random trashy girl because he couldn't live with the fact that he'd never done it with anyone.

"We are neither bee eff effs nor lovers," he reiterated, solemnly. "And as I am likely older than you, it seems rather inappropriate that you address me as 'kid.' My name is Costin, and if you must address me, though I prefer you don't, you could at least make an effort to use it."

He shifted a little uncomfortably, still not at all at ease with the close quarters of the lift, and rubbed at his eyebrow before lifting his other hand to make sure his hair was in place. He certainly didn't want to give her anything else to mock - she seemed like she just might be as heartless as he was, and maybe a bit more vindictive.