~Caged bird~ [Levi]

--- Silently she stood bent over on the concrete edge twirling the device in her hand aimlessly over and over again. It's symbolism was strong one when it was heavily thought about. This was how Cereza came to see Levi slightly but was there another person she saw the same? Maybe herself? No see she would never admit that she was somewhat in a cage herself. Cereza believed herself to be more free than most. But was that the truth? There was a lot unknown about the young girl. Figuring her out without her ever opening up herself was almost impossible. The amount of walls she had was ridiculous. She was so secretive and good at it she should probably take up a career as a spy. But all jokes aside opening up would probably do the girl some good but was that ever going to happen? Probably not. Cereza was just too stubborn. Just too lost into her world to bother with such things. She hated dwelling on the past most of all but lately things had been mirroring in some ways and she had almost a break most recently after another session with Damien.

--- The intensity that it held brought back thoughts, memories about that one main event of her past and she almost let Maverick's name slip from her lips. That was the breaker to ever admit anything about that guy in connection to her was a no no. A few days later she found herself in a moment of dwelling and she didn't like it at all. Dwelling made her upset. She needed a break. Needed to get away and well she hadn't heard from Levi in awhile so why not after all that get together with him. All those thought processes actually led her to texting him after all that. Interesting no? Of all people. Maybe she did it for herself subconsciously. Then again Cereza wasn't the nicest person underneath it all. She was manipulative in her own ways and cared very little for who she hurt even if she brought them up a little. She was always willing to push them right back down. But she didn't show that off the back. It was always a slow process after she got their trust. Did Levi deserve what she could possibly end up doing in the end? Not at all. But who's to say what could or would ever happen. Cereza was just an opportunist at heart. But had she invited him here with any of those intentions? Actually not at all. 

--- The soon fading sun kissed her face as she heard the door open, she didn't turn immediately allowing him to walk closer to her. Still the spinning thaumatrope going and going. She remained in her positioning bending down and leaning for now. Once he was either behind her or at her side she would smile and glance his way finally greeting his presence. 

"Hey my little canary... What's with the bag? Preparing for a sleep over?"

--- Well at least in her solitude she managed to be a little witty still. Though she seemed a little more serene and laid back than more forward.

--- Cereza was a very perceptive person. Often she paid heavy attention to a person's words and how they came out in tone. She picked up rather quickly on the ending of his speech and found herself staring at him with a lifted chin. Had she heard that tone correctly? Was he in some form saying he missed her? Was that a sense of longing in his words? Had she made such a huge impact upon him for this to be? Well if she was being a little conceded she knew she left am impression of some kind but how deep had it gone was the question. Could she stand there and deny that he didn't maybe leave some kind of invisible mark with her? Of course Cereza could deny it. She was damn near the Queen of deflection and denials.

"Well I don't think every time we met we need to tussle with each other hmm..You know it's not like you didn't have my number. You could've contacted me anytime."

--- The exotic girl had a point. Contacting was a two way street after all. Just because she hadn't reached out didn't mean he didn't have to especially if he really wanted to see her. She won't deny that maybe she had been busy lately with all her different kinds of 'work'; investigating Terry's murder was still ongoing and prepping everything for Wonderland's Circus. But she would've made time because a girl needs some downtime from all work and no play. Nevertheless could she say she had affectionate feelings for him? She wasn't the type for affections on that level. Well that was false to say she was incapable it was more something locked away behind hoards of security measures. It would take a great deal of force to pull that out of her. Her uncle believed she never truly experienced it but he was far correct. Once upon time she had and it led into the ultimate betrayal.

--- Why should she ever let it happen again? Get them before they got you. Sounds like a much better route at least to her. Guess it seemed cold and maybe lonely to some but it got her by and she was free and surviving. The concept of the whole thing fell death on her truthfully. She didn't understand it the true essence of it that is. Doubtful anyone would ever get her to. Funny how long had she been just staring at him? Probably a little longer than she even realized. Wow that was odd and so not like the brunette. She turned her face forward closing her eyes as she slowly rose up from her bent over position. Her back was still a bit sore and scuffed up in some parts so she masked the pain but making it seem like she was stretching to stand up straight. The device had longed seized twirling in her hands as the sun touched both of them gently. After letting the pain she masked settle her eyes reopened as she turned to face him, handing him the thaumatrope at the end of her sentence. If he hadn't noticed before he would see her right hand was wrapped in bandages and within her right wrist was a new tattoo. A tribal ouroboros.

"I don't believe those were my exact words. I believe I said 'let me know when you wanted to be free'.. I never said I could with definitive nature I could provide you with it. Besides I told you to let me know when you were ready, Canary."

--- There was no falseness in her statement. She never made a promise because to be free one had to want it. At best she could provide guidance to him breaking his of chains. She smiled after handing him the trinket and turned to face where the sun was starting to set.

"It has been awhile. I'm sure much as happened with you considering I've only seen you in class since, not really a time to talk about things...Heh speaking of school that place is a riot. Always something. But any case what's been going on? Staying out of trouble or getting into more hm?"

--- There were things she heard and knew. It wasn't hard obtaining information for her. After all she did get Levi's cellphone number which he never asked about how. She knew about the attack on the school how could she not? It wasn't something that could be held quietly. But school wasn't a priority of hers whether she went there or not, what happened wasn't her problem in her eyes. Well at least until it truly effected her personally. Nevertheless she inquired about what he had been up to while they were apart. He was welcomed to quiz her back.

--- In the times they had ran into each other since they first met there was a noticeable difference from him. He was a bit serious to start but after the first day he seemed a bit more playful. A bit more loosened up. She wondered if she had anything to do with that considering. Yet though he smiled genuinely it was clear he was stifling something back. Something he wanted to say but maybe didn't all together. Or maybe he just didn't know how to say it. At least he could smile genuinely for with Cereza her smiles were more 'controlled'. What did that mean exactly? It meant as natural as it might have looked it didn't come from the heart. It was just an often show of some kind of amusement, beats having a dead pan face. It was a rare to ever see her smile genuinely hell even hear her laugh was never so hearty. A smirk here, a snicker or chuckle there. She often kept things with herself quite controlled. Why? It became the norm. A mechanism she just didn't turn off and when it did naturally it was unexpected and she would just wave it off. Dismiss it like she often had. Pretend it never happened.

--- Her head tilted towards him as he mentioned wanting to be free of some things even for a little while. Honestly couldn't everyone? Wasn't there something that everyone wished to be free of either forever or just for a moment. Sometimes it was a wonder what if life were made of moments even now and then a bad one. But if life were only moments then you'd never know you had one. Moments were precious weren't they? At least that's what they say. Moments were supposedly meant to be cherish right? If anyone ever said that out loud to the young beauty she'd probably just shrug them off. She listened and watched him smirking at his response. Of course he couldn't stay out of trouble. But being kidnapped constantly? Seemed like there was some stories to be told there. In a little deep? Her curiosity grew with each passing second. Couldn't have been the Yazuka that he didn't want her looking into otherwise he wouldn't be so calm. Or would he? Had it been that would he still be a little calm next to her, just because he would be away from it briefly? Interesting, curious theories indeed. 

--- She was about to turn her face away and respond but was interrupted by the sudden touch of his hand against her bandaged right. Briefly she looked down and then back up to him turning towards him as he turned and stepped in flipping her wrist around. Levi was an observant guy that was established in her mind a great many times over. Cereza was just as perceptive and no fool. Seemed he was taking a page out of her book by diverting away and focusing on something else. She only used that tactic in certain situations this wasn't exactly the same. The gentle way he touched her hand was clearly with caution to her injury to which he seemed refraining himself from asking about. She wasn't doubting his interest in her new piece of body art she just knew what he really wanted to ask. Would she have responded the way she did that night about her scars? It was a 50/50 chance of it. The other scars and that which was on her hand was certainly different. It couldn't hurt to ask right? All anyone could ever do was try.

"It's an Ouroboros.. "

--- She gave a little pause to see if he had any knowledge upon it. Typically it was a serpent depicted but often enough a dragon was a variation. Had he no knowledge on the subject she would provide a little insight allowing him to keep her hand in his. There was a little tilt in her head as she glanced down at it herself she would trace the new tat in the circular formation it was in from the head to the tail once in mid sentence with her index finger from.

"They say it's a representation of many concepts...One perception revolves around the concept of the past; the tail; disappearing by being 'devoured' yet it really shifts inward out of sight but very much still exist.. Then there's the whole creation out of destruction, life and death.. Interesting no? Seemed like a fun fact to tell when someone asked, I just thought it was cool looking."

--- She chuckled at the end of her words to add a little lightheartedness to the whole thing. Was she speaking truth or lie? Maybe a mixture of both. She did tell him that night that a good liar embellishes the lie with a hint of truth. When she got that tattoo maybe she was only half thinking about the concept behind it or maybe it was more a subconscious decision. Though threw her words, her description it was interesting to find if one looked at her tattoo hers was only half eating his own tail. The tail was still dangling out of the dragon's mouth. That was symbolic in itself was it not? Only a highly perceptive person could possibly pick up on that especially when it came to her. The sun began to set, the colors changing in the sky catching her eye and touching her sky as she turned just her face to caught the setting sun on the city horizon. For a moment she probably looked rather serene with the way the light touched her. She hadn't forgotten the things she was interested in knowing that he mentioned she just choose to not speak on it just yet. She came up there to see the sunset what was funny was as often as she did she never recognized how lost in it she got until the sun was already gone - normally that is. With Levi there she would probably pick up on it sooner than later. It was little things that sometimes she let through when no one was looking. Grey's shifted over the city and sky. There was certainly something different about her ways this day as she spoke a little absently to the distance. 

"I'm not a delicate flower."

--- Those words could be taken in many different context whether she meant it those ways or not. Cereza was merely referring to the way he had gently held her hand with such care. She hadn't completely neglected the fact but yet all the same didn't care that he was. She was at best a stubborn soul who didn't like to be treated like a child. To be treated like she was weak or as though someone needed to be gentle with her at fear of her breaking. Honestly maybe she really did need someone to show her a gentleness, show her it was ok. Not that she would probably believe them anyways. Lots of layers this one had.

--- There was something about sunset that often drew in the young teen. So many often spoke about the serene feeling it gave off coupled with the stunning colors it twisted the sky into. But it wasn't truly that that made her watch it almost everyday. To Cereza it was the death of the light and the start of the shadows. The fading of the false purity's, the lies people told themselves and the emergence of sin. The beginning of their inner workings coming out thinking that maybe no one would see. Or that come morning they could just simply let the light wash it all away. It was an interesting thing the way people thought that a new day immediately washed away the old. It amused Cereza. If only it was ever that easy, but life wasn't about ease now was it. Life was about challenges.

--- Levi never seemed to question her when the opportunity was right there. He didn't push. He didn't pry. That was more than could be said about some others. That was more than could be said about herself. Cereza normally would pry if she wanted, she just was careful about how she went about doing so. Her moments were chosen carefully. But Levi it seemed like he was more into waiting for her. Giving her the choice to do so on her own if she wanted to. Maybe he didn't understand she wasn't really a sharer so it probably wasn't going to happen. Maybe if she was heavily intoxicated it was a possibility. Maybe. Maaaaayyybbee. That part about him though separated him from others. Again points to him.

--- Of course his squeezing of her hand wasn't meant to inflict pain but it was still fresh and it caused the slightest squint in her eyes which in turn caused her to pay a little more attention to his words. The way it slipped from his lips seemed completely genuine. Only her eyes steadily shifted in his direction as he tried to cover up his little moment. Being called beautiful wasn't something new to her, not for the sake of sounding conceded but she often heard it. Men tended to drop it so often it just became a thing. Yet oddly enough coming from him the context seemed different. Men often said it to her in a way to overly flirt, to swoon but not his. Her eyes lingered before her head finally turned to meet the direction as he finally let go of her hand. She said nothing initially until she finally smirked and snickered a little. A hint of mischievousness gleamed in her eyes as she stepped closer to him at first turning her shoulder towards him and nudging him playfully with it. 

"Oh so you think I'm beautiful huh?"

--- Snickering she twisted her body so her back would rest against more so a little on his chest and shoulder, tilting her head back with playful batting eyes. 

"Tell me again how beautiful I am. Tell me how my eyes glisten in the sunlight."

--- She couldn't help but to tease him suddenly switching her mood from that serene to her usual nature.

---  Cereza was a girl that required a sense of freedom. Of free will. Of choice. She wasn't the type of girl someone could chain down and tamed or controlled. Though there was someone from her past that would place a disagreement with that statement. However the details of that event, of that person, of the circumstances needn't been divulged in this present time. Just the remembrance of it at all coupled with recent occurrences had already caused the injury currently to her hand. There were just things people didn't like to think about and that was most certainly one of them. Cereza hated to dwell even in the smallest bit. One could say she was often running away rather than truly dealing with it completely head on. She didn't see it that way. Of course she didn't. Why would she see it any other way? Stubborn girl indeed. 

--- Cereza wasn't oblivious to the fact that Levi clearly had some kind of 'liking' or 'feelings' towards her. In fact that part of her that played in the dark enjoyed that knowledge very much so. It made the cogs turn with all the possibilities of how she could use such an individual that seemingly cared enough for her. It was a cruel thought yes, but she believed in using others before they ever got the chance to use her first. But would he use her like others? She didn't know the answer for sure, or maybe she did and she chose not acknowledge the fact that he might be genuine. That there was no ulterior motive behind his interactions with her. Alas she just wasn't built to think that way. Did Cereza share the same sentiment that Levi was? She would probably answer no. Feelings; emotions were a fickle thing with this exotic teen. She wasn't devoid of them she just was too stubborn, no beyond stubborn. Maybe she was a little jaded about those things. That's probably the better word more or less.

--- But she didn't summon him here for some kind of solidification of whatever 'relationship' they had. What did they have anyways? A friendship of some sort. Heh friendship. Friend wasn't a term Cereza used loosely. To her she had a ton more acquaintances than 'friends'. Can't say Levi didn't intrigue her he did. He was 'entertaining' to say the least otherwise she wouldn't be here. She wouldn't have texted him and brought him to The Pit or even back to her apartment. Whatever the case they were here and she wasn't going to throw away her need of relaxation. As she leaned to nudge his arms wrapped around her any other girl would've blushed at the feeling, not Cereza she was caught up in the joke of it all. Yet if anyone had been watching the seen would've been surreal to them. As he dramatically stretched a hand and proclaimed her beauty, the back of her left hand was placed dramatically on her forehead pretending to be swooned by his words. She returned his snicker with one of her as he looked to her and kissed her before looking off again. The kiss lingering enough that her lips responded in kind. The softness of it was 'awkward' to her, as if almost foreign or more so just merely forgotten but it didn't read.

--- There was that momentary serene again. How funny this wasn't what she was planning at all. Though he was playing back with her he was being so gently and affectionate again. Subconsciously Cereza felt the need to pull away like that night in the apartment. It's like it bothered her for some reason or another. Without so much hesitation Cereza would turn wrapping her arms around his neck. More so laying them over his shoulders and crossing at the wrist, dangling just off a little. She had to twist it back around before it got all mushy for her. The sun had finally set to where the night sky was becoming more visible. Keeping her playful aura she snickered while addressing him. 

"Come and have some fun with me tonight my canary... Let's paint the town red~ "

--- She winked, pulling a hand from behind him she'd flick down at his nose.

"Look at you getting all assertive. I wonder how daring you really truly are."

--- She referred to his kiss before she attempted to pull away and if she did she wouldn't leave without giving him a quick pat on the butt. That was the second time she had done that. If he let her go without doing anything to stop her she would turn towards the concrete barrier placing her hands on it. Without warning she would quickly pull herself over it, looking like she was going to jump off. If he didn't grab for her out of maybe possibly fearful of her insanity, she would end up landing on the smaller ledge just on the other side and laugh. If he grabbed her and pulled her back she would snicker still.

--- It seemed like he wasn't keen on letting Cereza just easily slip away. Of course not. Why would he? Had he allowed her she probably would've given him a heart attack at such a young age with the implication that she was going to jump off the roof. Yet there she was being pulled by her hips back into him. She still had a smirk plastered on her face till his hand ran through her hair and he recaptured her lips once again. It seemed a much longer than the previous. Different in ways she possibly couldn't explain. Or maybe she could but refused to let that door open to true acknowledgement. Why would she want to acknowledge such a thing? She didn't really feel anything towards Levi like he had to her. Or was she lying to herself that there wasn't the smallest drop, the tiniest inkling of something. Cereza was one of the most stubborn souls someone could try and get attached to. To get her to budge was like trying to move a mountain. The task was almost impossible unless one was like Superman or something.

--- It was beyond the factor of her wanting to be or feel free spirited. Her mind set was heavily on use before you can be used. To take advantage when you could. When opportunity knocked you jumped. So often she watched and waited patiently for the moment where she could twist and turn something in her favor. The end game was always about her gains. What could be done for her and for her cause. Sometimes it was a matter of simply entertainment. So often she toyed with others. Twisting things without a care for how they felt. Yet here she was with Levi and he continued to push this affection on her. Ironically it seemed to bother her. Irritate her just a little. But why? Any girl would love it. Adore it. But no Cereza wanted to shun it. During his kiss her eyes had opened partially in the middle of it, but why? It was the affection. She couldn't place the why within his attachment. She didn't truly trust it either. Yes she found him amusing, entertaining, and well of course attractive. But it was superficial. Could she see more in him? Maybe she secretly already did. And by secretly; it was even a secret to herself. To ask what she was afraid of was a question that probably wasn't going to be answered. Who said she was afraid of something? She certainly wasn't gonna own up to such things.

--- There was an air of familiarity and a road she just didn't want to walk. Would he ever get her to change his mind, her ways? Or if he kept pursuing would she just end up hurting him? Honestly the latter seemed like the more logical choice when it came to the young brunette unless something drastically changed within. Changing from within was probably the hardest thing anyone could ever do; even harder when they probably weren't inclined to do so. When he pulled away she saw his stare again. Ya know he did have nice eyes, but those eyes weren't going to sway her so easily. No no put those away Mister Levi. However with his hands on her hips and hers having magically rested on his chest - how and when did that happen?- she felt that little tingle in her again. No not that lovey dovey tingle. That tingle where she felt like going somewhere private and having a repeat of her apartment. No. No falling down the rabbit hole this time. As quick as he brushed it off was as quick as her return was. She could've just ended the day but no screw that she was going to enjoy herself. She needed a night away from everything. 

"Oh you didn't know? I paid him off to tell you that. Aren't I so cruel?"

--- She smirked, musing with him. Her hands had found their way to his behind at the end of her statement giving it a squeeze before scooting gracefully away from him and begin to walk away towards the rooftop door. She would glance over her shoulder at him making another playful comment before looking forward and continuing.

"Don't pretend like you aren't looking at my ass... Fōkasu Levi Sensei.."

--- Cereza chuckled to herself teasing him as usual. She had still been practicing her Japanese obviously. She opened the door waiting for him. She didn't really have anything particular in mind just a night out. Whatever happened happened. But she was curious to see more of his assertive side.