Sunveil mall.

[JennyDK]

Of course, Jessica could up the creepy voices, both normal verbal one as well as the mental one, but they seemed to have served their purpose as Ivy looks and seems very much affected in the intended fashion. Her face grows a wicked grin as she hears her reply."Ohhh, goood...hehe...mmmmmm, so you are saying I can just...have them? I would hate to be a bother...after all", she says in a normal voice, wondering if this effect will continue or if she has to ramp things up even more. While she is able to continually do all of this, it does drain her bodily energy, especially illusions, depending on various factors. Her large claw hand extends and one of the claws lightly run from the base of Ivy's neck to her chin, the eyes of Jessica looking deeply into hers, her grin still going strong.

[Neptune]

Ivy flinched when she felt the slaw lightly run from the base of her neck to her chin. It left a burning trail on her skin and she wanted nothing more than to reach up and rub the skin, but she was almost paralysed, staring back into the huge eyes that seemed to be mocking her. She gumped, her throat twitching in response as her hands clenched on the counter. She had never seen such a grin on someone before, and she really didn’t like the look of it. All she wanted was to try and get as far away from this person as possible. This was not how she had imagined her first customer to be like. 

Finally able to muster some kind of courage, Ivy tore her eyes away from the others and she took a step back. She took a quick, shallow breath as if she was coming out of the water before she looked back up and tried to speak with more confidence than she had earlier, “You wouldn’t be a bother… ma’am. I-If you tell me what you want, I can go and make your milkshake. Y-you’re more than free to have a look for a-anything else you may want to purchase.” She cursed herself for the stuttering, but at least it wasn’t as bad as earlier. She wanted to get to the ice cream bar so that she could have something solid between her and this woman.

[JennyDK]

She notices how Ivy, despite her efforts, still doesn't get how this is going to work. She has no intention of spending a dime. Why waste any money when there is fear and terror to plant the items in her hand and soon stomach. There is no reply from Jessica. Rather she begins to cackle and lick her lips, while she prepares herself to turn the candy store into something completely different, at least in the mind of Ivy.

This time reality is completely replaced with the one of Jessica's making. For now, it looks normal even though it is still an illusion. Once more, the telepathic voices comes through:

.
F̴̧̗̙̝̺͉̹͊́̏͆͂͘ơ̢̳̰̙͇̭̲̝̽̈̇͌̊͛͑́͋Ơ̶̢̛̼̰̤͕̎̾͗̌͒̌͜͞l̹͉͙͉̖̀̌̇̊͟͠Î͇̠̤͓̘͓͊̊̎́̎͗̓͘ͅs̛͕͉͍͕͌͂̀̿͑̃̀̚͢H̺̞̬͖̖̜̹̳̰̎̈́͆̒͆͂̉͒͝ ḧ̫̤̙̥̟̥̱͔̘̤̓̐̅̋̌̋͞͝U͕̜̳̼̦̮̖̎͛̉̉̕̕͘m̸̢̤͉̲͈̟̥͓̹̈͒̒̀̆̎̿̒͠͠À̩̱̪̙̠̬͂͂̊̎̚͝͡n̵̨̛̖͉͕͚̈́̑͌̋̉̐!̡͖̫̤̙̆͊̄̍̀̂̐͟͠͞ͅ!̢̗̘̮̗́̾̔̃͡͡ Ý̶̫̳̜̮̞̭͍̥̦͉͐̏̔̏̀̀͑͡ơ̴̡̧̬̺̰̲͓̼̐͐̃̇͜͞Ů̷̢͚̱̮̮̗̼͙̣͋̊̍͟͝ t̷̢̲̻̤̼̝̝̼̗̋͋͊̋̒̈̒̉̊͞H̡̨̙͕̭̲̋̇̓̃̔̆͌͒͗͡i̴̩͍͈̘͇̝͒͋̓̈̉̽̇͆̌̚Ń̢̛̝̤̗̺̪͕̺̝̈́̓̃́̿̉̄̀k̸̛̹̬̘̩̄͂̎̿̀̈́̄̕ͅ Y̧̢͕̖͖͚̝̭̭̔̀̋͗͐͛͢ǫ͚̗͉̮̦̘̼̿̊͂̄͛̑̾͢U̻͎̯̣͍͈͙͈͔̔̓͆̄͆̆͠ C̨͉͈̝͖͑́̾̔͌͝a̰̦̩̳͈̝̲̮̱͑̔̑̎̋̂̾͢N̷̛̥̘͚̮͌̇͂͐̃̈́̕͟͜ r̴̖̭͔̜͉̳̦̂̅͒̎́͘͘È̶̲͎̙̲̺̩̙̟̙̊͗̆̔͠s̛̝̟̭̙̉̈́́̈́̎̆̚͢͝Ḯ̵̺̫̗̦͇̒̍̋̀͗͡ś̳̥̣̣̘͓͎̘̈̇̅̀̇͟͟T̴̡̛̬̤̳̦̊̈́́̇̏?̡̦̹͉͕͈͛̃͊́͛ H͔̦̗̘͇̳̉̀̏͒͗̏̉͘͡ͅĄ̵̨͇̫̯͚̟̤̰̝̓̏͂̂̀̐̊̐͞N̶͓̙̺͇̼͋̔̇̚͘͡͝D̶̢̙͙̲̠́̌̊̊̍͛̆̚ M̶͕̰̳̱̦̥̠͓̔̉̆̓́E̸͕̫͖̹̻͖͙̜͎͑͂̇̍̌͗ A̪̘͔͖̭̗̱͐̇̏́̑̀̕͘͡͡Ļ̶̧̧͕̹̮̰̳̥̀̾̒̈̃̕̚͢͞L̢̞̺͍̮̞̻̎̾̆̏̍͂͟ Ǫ͙̜͈̣̰͛̽̆͐͛͑͆̚F̥̤͔͚̙̘̈̇̉͘̕͝͝ Ḯ͉̣̘̓͛̇͊͌͜͟͝Ţ̷͖̰͔̺͙̍̂͒̍̊́́̅̑͗!̢̢̛͙̞̲͚̜̠͒͐̎̓͋͡͞ Ņ͎͚̪͎̯̠̎͆̂͆̈̒͢͝o̸̻̩̹̱̦̣̹̟̣͗͑̑͌̈͘.̡̰̬̹̞͔͋̐̏̓̀͛̿̚̚͞.̫̫̣̞̬̭̪̩̆͐̑̇͂͘͢U̥̠̣̬̬͒̆̚͜͡͝ͅh̭̝̯̣̞̐̀̀̀̀Ḿ̷̨̛̗̥͍͕͙̳̜̦͐̈͗̀͛͘͟͠ŝ̸̡̲̖͇̠̼̣̒͂͛̏̍̇̕̚̚.̵̨̧̲͉̹̒͊̑̅͒̈́̽̒̕͜͠.̧̨͉̮̺̣͍̖̟̈́̉̃͒́͌N̷̡̗̗̗͚̅̀͋̄͂̾̓̂̚ͅo̷̠̮̥̝̣̹̻̠̅͂̍́̓͟͟ B̨̩͎̩̣͈̖̜̟̠̎̀̎̌̉̏̔͡ū̟̪̺̖̻̭̫́̔̿͡ͅT̬̤̫͎̤̄́͌͂̅̕͝ͅs̢̨̡̛͙̞̥͈̃̀͌̉͋̿̕͜͡.̨̥͇̞͎͍̟̿͋̀̑͒̎̆̌̚͝.̻͓̱͙͈̈͑̀͒͌̋̿͐͠͠.̡͎̜̗͙̩̩͂̉̐͋̔͜͞ͅŎ̸̮̯͚́͑̿͊͘͜͢r̭̗̞̟͚̠͌̽̔̎̀͗͟ F͓̪̻̹̥̓̌͗̚͠ā͍͈̠̜̰̲̠̹͛́̀̈́̕C̨̛͉͙͕̣̀̓̒̀͑̀̏e̵̮̟̣͕̘͎͋̋̋̑̍̽͢͞ A̴̢̛͈͍̯̦̤̙̭̫̿̎̓̾̔͟ń̢͔̫̹̥̖̺̥̘̃͑̅̚ E͓̤̗̼̳̐̐͘͘͡ͅẗ̳̤͈̹̬͚͙̬͍̈̿̽̄̌͜͝ę̵̧̤̣͆͛̀̇̂̇̑̇͜͟R̫͈̪̯͕̗̩͙̙͌̓̂̉̇͢n̛̖̮̲̰͈̾̆̀̅͗͒͟Ï͓̥͇̻̩̣̉̆͌͆́͜͟t̵̡̙̝̳̹͍̜͊̏̎̎̄͠Y̧̢̪͋̍́͑̒̀̈́̇͢͜͢ i̷̢̞̖̘͖̩̙̜̾̽̇͑̋́͜ͅN̶̼͙͖͚͎̤̺͋͑̐̈̓̇ Ỷ̢̛̱̖̝͊̒̀̉̚͘͘͞ͅͅọ̢̼̮̜̆̈́̊̎͆́̔̒̅U̡̙͔̹̰̮̾̊́͒͋̿̒͟r̷̢̭̩̬̓̄̅̅̍͜ W̵̜͇̭̬̹̓͛͊́͂̕̕͡͡ͅơ̜̜̙̮͉͊̇̋̆R̖͖̼̞̝͒̐̆̐͒́̔́ș̢̜̭̦̬̜̉̅̿̀͑̆̑̆̅̕Ṯ͎̞̪̗͎̘̉̀́̀̌̄͊̄̚͡ d̵̯̞̣̦͋͒͌̈́͂͘ͅR̵̼̝̺͕̳͍̩̖̃͌̓̈́͞ę̮̟̱̙̹͑̀̃̋͗̂̀͒͢A̢̨̜̭͕̜̻͉̓̊͑̍̒̋͊͂ṃ̧̰̰̯́̋̀̍̄͡S̨̛̬͇͓̙̱̞̹̭̎̀́́̕!̴̧̛̲̥͕̻͙͉̮͂̀̓͒
.
.

 

[Neptune]

The cackling causes the hair on the back of Ivy’s neck to stand on end. Once again she heard the strange scrambled words in her mind, the ones she couldn’t hear and yet she understood their meaning clearly. She cringed back, pressing herself up against the cupboard behind her as she reached up and clutched at her head, “Please! S-stop that! It hurts my head!” She cried as she felt a headache throbbing painfully behind her eyes.

[JennyDK]

Jessica can feel her patience starting to run dry and she considers revealing her true self to Ivy. She has no intent ot actually hurt her, but if she cannot either comprehend simple orders or refuses to, it leaves her little choice but to have to do it herself. The candy store sort of "melts" around Ivy, leaving behind what looks like a small platform of see-through glass and endless empty black void on all sides. The torment she aims to put through Ivy fuels her own enjoyment, like a forbidden pleasure, relishing as others are reduced to trembling messes.

.
.
Ḷ̷̣̗̹̟͚͂̍̍̒́̏͘͘͠͡a̢̢̹̜͕͕͍̘̓̿̋͛͊̈̒̆͟s̫͙̞̮̹̭͎̙̆͋̔̉͒̄̂͝͡ţ̸̤̺̫̲̦̤̍̽̅͠͞.̢̛̮̝̮̘̯̜̉̆̏͆͛̄͘͝ C̶͍͈̹̙͚̈̇͐̃̔̓̉̽̀h̶̢̲͇͖͎͊̎̒͆̚͜a̴͉̯̳̹̱͖̒͗͋̄̈̓̇͠ͅņ̛̳̰̤̹̗̳͙̎̂̋̏͂̂̀̚͟͡c̷̬̤̪̻̣̓͐̈́̎̕͠ͅe̡̨̜̰̰̅̈́̄̕̚͟.̧̘̮̖̃͐̇͆̚͢ G̵̫̥̜̪̥̫̺̱͎̿̓̔̒̇͒͐̌͘i̛̦̲̰̖̐͛̈́̓ͅv̸̗̯̪̗̼̪͔̇͒̂̂̉̈́e̥̬̝̔̎̀̊̽̾͗͡ͅͅͅ.̷̨̛̝̜͖̣̜͆̈̍̓̆͢͜͠ M̢̧̥̬̥͛͊̓͛̾͠ḙ͕̹̹̭̞̮̊̎̆͐́̓̀̇̄͟͜͡.̴̡̱̩͕̋͆̄̍̅̀̾͟͝͝ T̸̢̧̲̠̭̞͆̈̅̋͛́͟͡ͅḥ̴̗̤̜̖̆͊͊̇̈́ē̵̢̛̗̞̮̜͍͉̬̑͘͝.̷̰̭̮̜̩̱̦̥͊̇͌͒̆̓͂͊̚̚ S̷̡͓̙̝͚̯͇͖̠̏́͐̀͑̇͊̓̑͘ͅt̟͓͍͍͍̤̉́̏̋͋̚͟͝ụ̢̗͎̘̌̀̄͋͂̄̕ͅf̨̠̝͉̳̫̤̗̅̓̑͑̆͌̓͛͜f̧̙͎̩͔̟̐͑̒̆́͐̕.̧̛̬̜̜̜̖̪̞̫̩̅̊̄͋̚ Ȋ̸̡̯̟̤̳̣̻͕̉̃̌̉̚͘̕͘͞ ẘ̸̤͉͇̝͉͙̞̙̄̿̀̊̇̐͜ī̧̼̯̹̭͙̤̝̠̎̅͊̈̅̐̆̚l̸̡̫͕͖̜̂̔͐̀͐̎͗͗͘͢͟l̡̧͙̗̲̂̋̂͂̈̄̆̂̄͟͞ n̢͔͕̥̤̞̊̄̆̀̒̅̈́̇͘͟͟ͅo̷̞͙͎͈͔̙͕͖̿̓̈̾̿t̴͚͖̜̝̖͕͊̓͆͊̈́̄̉ͅ t̵̛͉̣̯̫̞̥̩̅̇̔͝ͅę̴̡̧̠̦̯̻̥̈́͊͑̍͒̾͛̎̌̅l̢̼̬̤̫͂́̃̓̍̐̈́̅͡͞ͅl̹̟͙̫̗̬̺̮̍͋̌͆̾̏̿̓̿͢͟͡ y̵͓̯̗̫̪̖͛̀̈́̾͑͒̆͟ͅo̶̡̗͉̼͚̜̫̦̿͑͑͂͛̚ͅu̧̢̬̯̼̞͚̳̖͒̉͐̉̅͢ ả̶̡̨̛͕̥̜̱̩̮̻̑̒̐͊͐̕͞͞g̶̳̖̹͖̖͕͆̏͒͛̄̉͡͝a̡̤͕̱̬̾̂͋̾̈͗̂̓͜͝i͇̟̺͕̲̼̻͍̙͐̊͛͛̀̋͐̚̕͢͠n̷̢̡͕̰̻̙̮̙̑̈́̐̉́̿͐̐̓̀͢!̸̧̙̣͔̠̪͖̃̄̃͆̕͟͢͡ͅ
.

[Neptune]

Ivy’s eyes went wide as she saw her shop begin to melt around her, as if everything was made of chocolate and was under the heat of the blazing sun, “W-what is going on?!” She asked, feeling herself sinking down to the floor as she looked around frantically, feeling a knot of fear growing in her stomach. A small scream escaped her as everything melted away until she was left on nothing more than a small platform, surrounded by an endless void that she tried hard not to look at and yet seemed to close in around her. She closed her eyes, her hands clutching harder at her head as those strange formless words came upon her, demanding that she give the woman what she wanted. This is not what Ivy had signed up for when she set up her shop. She didn’t think she could handle this. She shook her head from side to side, “Please! Make it stop! I’ll give you whatever you want if you would just stop it!” She sobbed, tears pouring down her cheeks as she couldn’t hold back the fear anymore. 

[JennyDK]

Jessica goes from speaking in Ivy's mind to just cackling manically as she watches and listens in glee and schadenfreude. Once she gives in to her reasonable and simple demand, she disspells it all, brining Ivy back to reality once more. Now, Jessica looks and acts as normally as she ever could do, even smiling gently back and looking around at the sweets on the shelves and such, basically acting like nothing ever happened."Soooo..I would like this, this and thooooose...and a large strawberry milkshake. If they are really good, I may have to come by another time...", she says with a grin.

[Neptune]

The cackling of the other woman made Ivy cringe, causing her to curl up into an even tighter call in an attempt to get away from her. She sobbed in relief when everything seemed to return to normal. Her beautiful shop back to how it should be. She flinched again at the sound of the girl's voice. She looked up as she pointed out everything that she wanted, demanding it as if she was a Queen ordering her servants about. Trembling, Ivy pushed herself up from the floor using the cupboard to support herself. She snatched a bag up from where it was resting on a hook beside the till and, careful to slide around the woman, emerged from behind the counter. Not saying a word, she went up to the shelves and took the ones that were demanded, and put them in the bag, her hand trembling violently as she did so as she sobbed softly. Despite the urge to just throw them carelessly into it, Ivy still loved her sweets far too much to do that. 

Ivy turned back around, not daring to look at the other woman as she put the bag down on the counter. She wanted to defiantly tell her ‘There! There’s your fucking candy!’ but she stayed her tongue. Instead, she said in a small voice, “I’ll be back with your milkshake.” She then turned and walked off down the aisle towards the back of the shop. 

[JennyDK]

Jessica simply begins to eat the candy there and then, not even waiting to go outside and now openly mocking Ivy with her divulging her sweet tooth in the open and in her own shop as well. She giggles softly, haivng a blast with this and simply nodding once she is told she is getting her milkshake. She leans herself over the counter with her upper body, smelling the lovely scents of the various candy around her, wondering if she should come back again soon or let the clerk have some time to recover. Not much fun if the victim is already stunned from the moment she walks in after all.

[Neptune]

Ivy moved as quickly as she could, wanting to do this as quickly as possible. Once she arrived at the ice cream bar, she threw everything she needed into the blender as quickly as she could. She lost precious seconds as her hands trembled and no matter what she said to herself, she couldn’t get them under control. Her milkshake wasn’t anything too special, with some milk and powder thrown in with a good amount of strawberry ice cream. She also threw in some strawberries for extra texture and flavour before blending it all together to produce a very thick, ice cream milkshake. She finally poured the drink into a plastic cup, pressing down the lid and picking up one of the plastic straws, thanking any kind of God, existent or not, that she was finally finished. 

Taking a shallow breath, as the band of fear constricting her chest prevented her from taking a deep breath, Ivy picked up the cold cup and turned around to return to the front of the shop. When she saw the woman again, casually eating the sweets she had been given, she flinched again. Carefully, as if afraid to startle a very dangerous animal in her midst, Ivy put the milkshake on the counter and withdrew again, “T-there’s your shake.” She would have told the woman to enjoy it, but a small, spiteful part of her didn’t want to wish that on her. If she never saw that woman again, it would still be too soon.

[JennyDK]

Even from where Ivy is, when she makes the milkshake, she can hear how Jessica hums softly to herself, clearly not at all feeling any sort of bad for whatever happened. Jessica cares little for most human cultury, history and even most laws as well, letting the Monster Codex be there more correct one to go by for herself. She begins to get a bit impatient and the humming is replaced with sharp claws gently tapping against the counter on front.

Finally. she is seeing Ivy return once more and giggles softly."Ohhh, lovely. This shall be nice to have and savour. It's good to see a human who can at least be useful. I do have some real work to do though...tata miss human. Don't look under your bed later...okay?", she says with a wicked smirk as she begins to sip from the milkshake and then turning to leave the store.

[Neptune]

Ivy felt herself cringe a little at the sound of the other girls giggling. The sound made her want to hide behind her counter for the rest of the day. Her face paled as the girl told her to not to look under her bed that night. What the hell did she mean by that? Ivy remained stood where she was, stunned, as the girl turned and left the shop. The sound of the bell ringing cheerfully was almost mocking to Ivy. 

She wasn’t sure how long she had remained standing there before she suddenly shook herself, trying to draw herself from her reverie. Her eyes darted out of the window, almost afraid that she would come back. Her eyes were drawn to the front door of the shop and she quickly went over to it and locked it tightly. She flipped the sign to say that they were closed. Right now, she was not ready for any more customers. Her first one of the day had been a disaster. She needed some time to herself before she could open things up again. 

Returning to the counter, Ivy picked up the discarded sweet packets and threw them into the bin behind the counter. Glancing outside once again to ensure no one could see her, she knelt down behind the counter so that she was hidden from view and began to cry, sobbing out her fear. She never wanted to experience anything like that again, and she hoped that that evil woman would never come back. 

It was only after she had calmed down a little and the tears had stopped flowing when Ivy stood up and went into the back of the store. She leaned herself up in the bathroom, trying to make sure that she didn’t look as if she hadn’t spent the last half hour bawling her eyes out. When she was satisfied, she returned to the storefront and hesitantly unlocked the front door and flipped the sign back over. She then returned to the counter, but she didn’t sit back down on the stall. Instead, she stood stiff and her fingers nervously played with each other on the surface. After a moment, she reached under the counter and pulled out an orange lollipop. She unwrapped it, allowing the wrapper the fall into the bin behind the counter before she popped it into her mouth. While her favourite flavour was strawberry, she really didn’t want one. Not right now.

[Godot]

Having finished the meeting with Lady Monika, the buff rich man with his chest always out, known as Salvatore, had left her company building with his Hercules branded glass of nothing in it and his bottle of champagne he got as a gift. He raised a hand to signal a taxi and quickly went home to his mansion to lay off for half an hour and get ready for another walk in the mall, specifically to check on his casino for the second time today. First time he always does it in the morning, but the second time he does it in the evening. Salvatore was not a witness to the commotion between Jessica and poor Ivy @Neptune, but he had arrived minutes later, just after she returned from the back of the store. With the usual smirk on his face, donning his usual fancy white attire with his scarred and manly chest visible, he had entered "The Sweet Tooth!" candy shop and decided to pay the place a little visit, as he does to each and every store in the mall, twice.

Upon noticing Ivy, unbeknownst to Salvatore what event had transpired minutes earlier, he stepped closer to the counter and reached up to his fedora, raising it for a moment as a form of greeting he always does, showing his pearly white teeth. "Ivy, darling, it is a pleasure to see you!" Always being so kind to women and womanly men. He looked down at her from his tall posture as he leaned against the counter with an elbow, smiling at her warmly, an aura of comfort and protection always emitting from him. He looked around, noticing that the people inside the store are busy looking around and not coming to pay for their things anyway yet, so he didn't think he was a bother, or in the way. He looked in Ivy's eyes, not noticing the sign that she cried as she did her best to hide that fact, asking a question. "Is your job coming along nicely, as always?"

[Neptune]

Ivy couldn’t help but to jump slightly when the door opened but after a flash moment of panic she realised that the person who walked into the store was a rather tall, handsome human dressed in what appeared to be very fancy clothing. She felt herself relax slightly, not knowing that it wasn’t that horrible woman returning to cause her more trouble. Nervously, she continued to suckle on her lollipop, watching as the man seemed to ignore the shelves and approach her. She couldn’t help but to stiffen slightly at his approach, but relaxed a little more when he gave her a friendly greeting, along with a charming smile.

Despite herself, she felt her cheeks redden slightly as he leaned down on the counter, giving her a warm and friendly look. She felt herself relax a little more as he seemed to exude the aura of comfort and protection. In a way, she was glad that he was there. If that strange lady came back in, she had the feeling that he would not put up with her antics… unless he was as vulnerable to her illusions as she had been. She pursed her lips around her lollipop for a moment, trying to push those thoughts from her mind. After all, she had a customer- a really hot customer- to deal with. 

Ivy pulled the lollipop from her mouth with a soft pop, licking her lips as she gave him a slight smile although she could sense that it likely looked fake, “Hello… it’s a pleasure to meet you, too.” She said, responding to his warm greeting with a soft but no less warm greeting of her own. At his second question, her smile became slightly strained, “As… well as it can. But then retail has its own fair of troubles, doesn’t it?” She tried to smile a little wider but it came out more of a grimace than a smile.

[Godot]

Not taking his gaze off of her, he raised a brow, noticing something off in her expression. Was Salvatore that perceptive, or did he simply have a hunch that something was up? For now, he ignores it and continued to smile warmly, raising a hand to caress his own goatee for a moment. He remained leaning against the counter but looked around once more, as if he felt a sort of weird vibe or presence. He looked back at her, tilting his head slightly while grinning. Salvatore was known by everyone around the mall, Ivy included, so it's not exactly their first encounter. Hence why he referred to her by her name. Upon analyzing her grimace and forced facial expressions, he takes a mental note to ask her about it later. "Mhm, retail is quite vulnerable to troubles, indeed." He spoke with a certain warmness in his own voice, being quite the gentleman to someone as petite as Ivy.

Salvatore looks away for a moment, pondering whether he should talk about her attitude, then finally deciding. He tells her something, while still looking away. "I've seen countless women in my life... Some pretty, some ugly, some strong, some petite..." He looks at her as he said the last word. He warmly and reassuringly smiled at her once again as he tilted his head a little bit, having a concerned look in his eyes. "...And I can tell when something is up. Darling, is everything alright?" He asked that question of her, as if he had seen through her mask, which... he probably did. With his warm tone, friendly attitude and positive expressions, he clearly meant no harm to Ivy at all. If anything, he just wanted to uncover the truth and possibly help her in any way.

[Neptune]

Ivy almost chastises herself as Salvatore looked away, despite his warm words. She knew her troubles were her own, and she shouldn’t saddle them on other people. Especially with people as important to the community as Salvatore. She was drawn from her thoughts when he spoke about the kinds of women he had met over the years. As he looked to her while saying the last part, she couldn’t help but to blush deeply. She was used to men hitting on her, but Salvatore seemed to have a way about him that made her body feel warm. 

She then winced when he said that he could tell that something was wrong, and she glanced away. Ivy was well aware that he meant her no harm, but she was reluctant to burden him so but at the same time, she felt the need to talk to someone. She fiddled with her lollipop nervously, biting on her lip before she looked back up at him, “I… I just had a really bad customer.” She admitted, keeping her voice low so that no one could hear her, “I don’t know who she was but… she was a monster. I don’t know what kind but she had big claws and… she made me see things…” She bit her lip again, “Like my store melting away… I was so scared I just gave her what she wanted.” Her eyes glanced around in an almost paranoid fashion before she locked eyes with him again, letting him see her fear, “And I’m scared she’s going to come back… She already told me not to look under my bed tonight…” She trailed off, not even wanting to finish that thought.

[Godot]

Salvatore wasn't necessarily hitting on her with that last part, but he did acknowledge her as a petite, young woman, given her looks and everything. Even so, he was always kind to her. Known to be rich and always hitting on women, there are certain people in Salvatore's life that he doesn't openly hit on, even if he maybe secretly liked their looks. Recently, he tried to calm himself whenever it came to interacting that way to women, despite being successful 90% of the times.

Listening to her story and with no interruption, he stopped leaning against the counter and had a rather serious look on his face, but not a face to be afraid of. Instead, it was the face of someone who cared deeply about those around them. His gaze was also still concerned while looking at Ivy. He closes his eyes after she stopped and sighed. "I'm aware of who it is. At least, I think I'm aware. Despite her monstrous nature, there's not enough evidence to ever catch her. Her powers even mess with the surveillance cameras." He looks up at the supposed cameras that would've recorded the entire event in the store.

He raised a hand as he continued to look down at Ivy, his serious expression turning into one of true concern. Yet, he smiled. Even during a time like this, he still put on a real, warm smile so that Ivy could feel at ease. The hand he raised, he reached out with it to the smaller girl in front of him to place it on her head, giving her a gentle, reassuring pat. His touch was so gentle, and warm, even if the physical contact was about two seconds. He acknowledged her fear and responded accordingly. "She's not going to be under your bed, I can assure you of that... She's got a big mouth, but unless she follows you, which she won't, she doesn't know where you live in the first place." He tilted his head slightly again, now having a less concerned look and more of a simply smiling expression, looking at the poor girl who had to face a criminal such as Jessica. He leans in again, this time using both of his arms as support, speaking in a whispering tone and his head being on more of her level this time. "I have connections with all kinds of organizations. Sadly these organizations can't act against her." It looks like what he was saying was quite serious. He continued, gazing deeply in her eyes. "The best advice I can tell you is stay away from any scarecrows. While walking home, if you see a random scarecrow in the bushes or even inside a random store showcase window, just get to the other side of the road, or make sure you're not walking alone. You can never be too sure, when it comes to her. I know it's too much to handle, but..." He formed a warm smile again, still keeping his head on her level. "...You are going to be fine, Ivy, darling. And... If you still think you're not safe, I can spare you two of my mansion's highly trained monster night guards, for the night, for free." He leans back, standing up straight again and looking down at her. "It's a big- No, it's a huge offer to someone like you, I know, but I want you to feel as safe as possible..." He grins, tapping on the front of his fedora once, watching her reaction to his monologue.

[Neptune]

Ivy was so glad that she was proven to not be losing her mind when Salvatore immediately knew who he was talking about. But his words about there never being enough evidence to catch her concerned her. It seemed that there was every chance that she would return to terrorise her again, and there would be nothing she could do about it. It scared her to know that someone could do such things and get away with it. It usually tended to make such people more bold. Ivy didn’t want to see that woman ever again, and silently prayed to whatever God would answer, to keep her away. 

She felt a warm weight on the top of her  head, and she looked up, blinking at the gentle touch. She frowned a little when he said that she was not going to be under her bed. She was about to argue back, but stopped when he brought up the point that unless she followed Ivy home, the girl wouldn’t know where she lived. He had a point. She was brand new here in town, only a few weeks of which most of that time had been setting up her store. While she lived alone in a small one bedroom apartment, she had never noticed anyone follow her before. 

Her frown deepened through when Salvatore said that while he had connections with all kinds of organisations, they couldn’t act against her. It seemed so unfair that someone like that woman would be able to get away with doing so much. His advice, while sound, alarmed her, causing her eyes to widen slightly. That was not reassuring to her in the slightest and she felt herself tense again, glancing out of the window just in case there was a scarecrow staring at her from across the street. Gulping nervously, she looked back at Salvatore.

His offer startled her and for a moment she stared at him in surprise for a moment, before immediately feeling bad, “O-Oh! I don’t want to be a bother! You really don’t have to do that for me, really!” She hushed for a moment, her cheeks flushing a little as she explained, “I would feel really bad for accepting, sir. And what if she plans to do something, but not tonight? I appreciate the offer, sir. It means a lot. But I think it will be best to just follow your advice. I haven’t been here long, so I think you’re right; she doesn’t know where I live. I just need to be vigilant.”

[Godot]

Salvatore stares at Ivy as she responds, closing his eyes for a moment and nod once, reopening them to look straight into hers once more, not breaking contact at all. "It is entirely up to you, darling. But know, that whenever you need something, you can talk to me about it. Be it anything." Spreading his arms for a moment as he forms a big, proud smile, being unbelievably generous to someone he has only ever spoken to a few times in the past. "Every worker in this very mall shall be under my protection, if they ever need it. Which includes you too, darling." He retracts his arms and returns to leaning against the counter with just one arm, but this time with his other arm as he faces some of the sweets & candy that were showcased and are easy to reach out for, on the counter. Using his other hand, he reaches up to grab a lollipop. After that, he reaches into one of his pockets to grab out some change, the exact amount needed to pay for something so small as this lollipop. He places the coins down on the counter for Ivy.

He lets out a troubled sigh, as he finally looks away at a random direction, having an apologetic look on his face. "I may not be some kind of hero, and I am truly sorry if I seemed pushy earlier with my unbelievable offer. I just don't want anyone to feel unsafe in this city, especially not someone as petite and precious as you, darling..." He pockets the lollipop afterwards, unintentionally using such swaying words on Ivy with his gentle tone.

[Neptune]

When Salvatore accepted that she was reluctant to accept his yet, and yet still offering her a lifeline should she want it, Ivy smiled up at him, letting him see the grateful look in her eyes. Her smile widened when he proclaimed that she, like everyone else in the mall, was under his protection. That thought made her relax a little more although she knew that there was little that Salvatore could do if this woman was able to scramble even CCTV but she supposed a scrambling like that should act as a red flag for security. At least, she hoped. 

She watched as he picked up a lollipop, one of the ones set near the counter for people to pick up on their way out. As he put the coins down on the counter, she said softly, “Thank you.” While it seemed like she was thanking him for the money, she was also thanking him for his reassuring words. With her spare hand, she picked them up and opened the cash register and quickly slipped the coins into it. She pushed it close with a soft click as he looked away for a moment again, before speaking again. Her head tilted slightly as she listened to him before she blushed again when he called her petite and precious. For a moment, she couldn’t find her voice so she licked her lollipop for a moment to gather herself. She then said, “Y-you weren’t pushy. I really appreciate it… I just would feel bad accepting. Especially from someone as important as yourself. You’re very kind, and very generous. Just knowing that you’ll do everything you can to make this mall safe makes me feel better. I just wish I could do something to thank you in return.” She then gave him a slightly coy smile, as intentionally or not, his words seemed to express some measure of interest in her. She popped the lollipop back into her mouth, sucking on it slightly.

[Godot]

It was truly a shame that nobody would be really able to do anything about the criminal woman who terrorised poor Ivy earlier in the day. Still, Salvatore had tried his best to reassure her, and it seemed to work just fine. Nodding at her once she thanks him, he continued looking into her eyes and listened to whatever she has to say. "I understand.." He says once she explains that she would've felt bad accepting his offer, listening more at her. His smile becomes wider as she says she feels safe all thanks to him, closing his eyes for a moment and letting all that praise sink in. He takes a deep breath once she finished and grinned at her, as usual. "Do something in return?" Seeming surprised, somewhat. He raises a hand and waves it side to side in a negative fashion, gently. "No, no, you really don't have to do anything in return.. I don't think I could ever even make myself ask anything of you, Ivy darling." He says that, keeping the smile and winking once at her, obviously meaning it the positive and good way, because there's also a negative meaning to his words and he hopes she didn't misunderstand it.

[Neptune]

One of Ivy’s eyebrows rose a little when he waved away her offerto do something in return for him. It seemed that he had missed the subtle hint, which surprised her given his reputation. When he insisted that he would never want to make her give him anything, she pulled the lollipop from her mouth with a sound that sounded almost like a blown kiss. Holding the sweet in one hand, she leaned on the counter, tilting her head up at him,

“I didn’t offer to do something in return because I feel like I have to. I want to do something in return because I want to, not because I have to. Otherwise it’s not much of a thank you, now is it?” She asked pointedly before she slowly lifted the lollipop to her mouth and put it back in.

[Godot]

Salvatore kept his gaze on Ivy and blinked a few times, keeping the smile though. He looked down at her once she leaned against the counter, listening to what she had to say in response. It seems that he didn't quite catch what she hinted at, but he did acknowledge that cute look in her eyes and that popping sound that was similar to a blown kiss. "Ahh, my mistake. Then what do you want to do in return, darling? I'm all ears. I guess it won't hurt me to accept your gratitude. You're going to have to decide what to thank me with, though." He says, retrieving the lollipop from his pocket and taking off the wrapper, putting it his own mouth and coating it with his own saliva, feeling its unique taste but not sucking on it, to prevent himself from looking weird while doing so.

[Neptune]

Ivy seemed to consider what she could do for him, and glanced around the store. It was a shame that there were still people browsing. The lollipop stick moved from side to side as she moved the sweet around in her mouth with her tongue. She then pushed herself slightly up on her hands, straightening her back as she did so. Removing the sweet from her pocket, “Well…” She then gave him a flirtatious smile, “I am due to have a break. And my candies aren’t the only sweet things I offer. Only for the special customers, though.” She gave him a slight wink before she slipped the lollipop back into her mouth. She hoped he both understood, and accepted her offer. While she would be disappointed, she wouldn’t blame him for declining her. She knew he was a busy man, and it would be selfish of her to monopolise his time.

[Godot]

Salvatore realizing what she means after she properly hints at it now, he slightly widens his eyes for a few seconds, then a smirk forms on his face, as he reaches up and pulls the lollipop out of his own mouth, looking straight into her eyes. "Oh? I never thought you'd have special offers for special customers." Taken aback by it a little bit, he does seem to consider it. Putting the lollipop back in his mouth for a few moments before taking it out, also taking out its wrapper from his pocket and wrapping the top back up, before pocketing the whole thing as he smirks, looking into Ivy's eyes. Despite her petite looks and everything, her flirtatious expressions and offer make her look mischevious.
Salvatore looks around the store, before looking back at her, tilting his head down just enough so his eyes are hidden thanks to his white fedora's tip. He reaches in his white fancy jacket's inner right pocket to take out what seems to be a business card, reaching out and placing it down in front of her on the counter, sliding it closer. "Whenever that break of yours is, you can contact me with the number in the small letters on that card, darling~..." He says, lifting his head up again so his eyes are visible, smirking at her and winking once, signaling that indeed he gets what she meant. Upon closer inspection, the business card seems to be relatively normal, however in the small letters on the bottom of the bright yellow card, it says in clear black letters: "On special occasions, contact this number instead:" and lists a more casual number, instead of the one above it in big letters which seems to be a direct contact number to Salvatore's casino.