Best Frenemies (IC)

[Russoboo]

Darren set his clothes on the counter and let the clerk, a dour women in her midtwenties, sort and scan. He preemptively drew a black credit card from his wallet and set it down in reach, then pointedly looked away from the register and its rapidly climbing price. The first answer he gave Kat was a shrug. "Acting is cool, but I've never really been one for, like, the theatre. More interested in film." The clerk handed Darren a receipt, which he took just long enough to sign without looking at the final total. "Mostly, I do whatever I want, so not very much. I get bored really easily and I'm a lot more of a homebody than I seem."

He took back his credit card and a white bag full of overpriced clothes. Darren grinned. "Lately, I've been spending my free time harassing strangers and making them fall for me, but, like, honestly, that's a bit of a bad habit coming back after I thought I'd kicked it. History is a circle and everything."

[Curious Key]

"No surprises there. Not a lot of people do, usually we don't even sell all the seats if it's not on the first night, so we have to go for the old favorites to draw a crowd. 'What's in a name, that which we call a rose . . .'" Kat shook her head and sighed.

She watched as the cashier rigged up Darren's purchases, Kat squinted at the line of numerals as it climbed. Started high and went higher. The rich kid was making a statement; I don't even need to look. I can afford it all. Trust fund kid. Which she, Kat reminded herself, was piggybacking off of. She dropped her clothes on the counter, grimacing at nothing and gave Darren a look. "I didn't play taxi for dating advice," she tapped her finger on the table next to her clothes.

[Russoboo]

"Romeo and Juliet? I guess you could have, like, thrown Hamlet at me, so it could be worse." Darren ran his fingers back through his hair and watched Kat's fingers tapping on the counter. He supposed it was too nice to think that she would foot her own bill after agreeing to chauffeur him around, even if she had the funds to do so. The black card came back out and the transaction was made. When he got hold of the receipt, he crumpled it in his fist and stuffed it into his pocket.

"How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is, to have a thankless child." He turned and strode off back to the front door and the street. "No one appreciates the value of some good, neutral input on their little personal crises anymore. Some people, like, really." Darren ducked out the door, laughing like a jackal the whole way.

[Curious Key]

"You think just a quote is bad? That play's worn a rut in my head as deep as the end. Star crossed lovers my ass! Hamlet would still be better." Kat made a motion like brushing the thought away and watched out of the corner of her eye as the cashier started wiping clothes across the scanner. If she had tried to get her parents to spend that much money on that many clothes, they'd have probably gone into convulsions. And then took her money away until the madness passed her by.

He knew King Lear, did he? Kat raised an eyebrow, shook her head as she walked out behind him. "Nice choice. But you cast yourself wrong. Despite thy victor sword and fire-new fortune, thy valour and thy heart, thou art a traitor."

[Russoboo]

"Edgar, huh? I guess, like, I shouldn't be surprised." Darren sighed and spun on his heels. He walked down the street backwards and faced Kat. "Rich and dumb, right? That's totally typecasting. And even if my brother is kind of a jerk and, like, a serious burnout, which is a pun utterly wasted on you, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't throw me under a bus. But, I guess everything turns out alright for him in the end. After everyone else is dead, of course, that's just tragedy for you."

His grin faltered and he looked down at the sidewalk. He turned back around and fell into step beside Kat. "I don't know why I'm saying this, but, like, that's the one thing I'm worried about. What if I get stuck in crystal mode? I could, like...out live everyone I know. Or just everyone. Cause, you know..." Darren bit his lip, but the smile couldn't be stopped. "Diamonds are forever."

[Curious Key]

Kat pointed her palms toward the sky, letting the bag slide further down her elbow. "Better than the end you picked for me. Exile my Dad, poison my sister and get chased out of the kingdom?" She tsked and shook her head.

When Darren started talking about turning diamond forever Kat grabbed hold of her elbow and stared ahead, frowning, but then he dropped the punchline. Kat closed her eyes and ran a hand over her face. "Wow, false alarm. For a second there I almost thought you were serious."

"So does your brother spit fire or something? I'd think you were going for a metaphor," she gave Darren a frank look. "But you love puns far too much."