Hiya Cutie

[Lovely]

March 6, 2009
8:50 p.m.


He only had a few minutes left to get past the gate before curfew and there was actually a line, if the three boozed-up dead-beats harrassing the guards, spinning, falling over and tripping their way through the checkpoint gate could be considered a line more than a pile. He slowed down and looked around the block. The only way around would be breaking in and climbing his way in and through the boarded up building on one side, or passing the well-guarded living hive of apartments and offices on the other that seemed better patrolled than the checkpoint itself. Getting past the door wasn't the issue that concerned him. He didn't have time to weave through the halls and work his way down an outside route over the fence. His drop would be gone before then. "So much for lunch money," he mused quietly to himself. He could make other arrangements another night and it looked like he might have to consider that instead, but it was going to cost him. He couldn't afford it, but he couldn't afford drawing too much attention either. He was just an average guy late getting home. He looked back at the pile and the guards and realized that they weren't falling over themselves because they were drunk. A blonde... nice one, too... was coming through and heading toward him. If she was through distracting them, maybe he could make his way past in time, he thought. He pulled his collar tighter around his neck, wishing he had a hood tonight. The sigh billowed out its foggy commentary, hanging in the air as he started toward her and the gate.

Amber's job wasn't the greatest but the pay from it was enough to keep her going back day after day.. a girl did have to eat after all and one of the perks with working in the diner was a free meal. That helped alot in stretching her money farther, enough to pay the bills but not much else. She was still doing better than alot of people and never complained about things like her aching feet or shoulders from carrying trays and standing for long hours in pumps almost everyday. The low heels of those pumps clicked softly against the pavement, where there was pavement, as she walked away from the check point. Amber sighed and pulled her coat tighter around her, clutching her small purse beneath it, and trying to ignore the comments from the men at the check point. At least she was far enough away from them that none of them could grab her ass as one had done while standing in line at the check point. They were making her nervous, especially one of them as he'd followed her for a couple blocks before the post and now followed her through, still trying to hit on her even though she'd clearly told him she wasn't interested - several times. He wasn't taking the hint and called out after her 'wait up sweetness'. Her eyes scanned the street ahead of her and she honed in on a man approaching the checkpoint, she bit her lip and put herself in his path. It was a big chance to trade one creepy stranger for another stranger, not knowing whether the second would be better but there was something about him and her senses drew her closer. "Hiya cutie.." She smiled as she stepped directly in front of him and hoped beyond hope he wouldn't make it obvious that they didn't know one another.

He was about to dodge out of her way and keep walking when it seemed she was coming toward him on purpose. Did he know her? It could have been the drop, he thought, maybe getting impatient and coming through to find him since he was running late. Since when did anyone hunt down anyone else to give them something? He smiled more at that, then the 'cutie' comment threw him off guard. "Man, what a night," he smiled to her. "I almost didn't see you. Don't ask me how," he said, glancing past her shoulder to the other man that didn't seem drunk at all and seemed to slow down a little when she came up closer.

[Lovely]

She looked surprised and relieved as he seemed to play along and glanced past her shoulder at the man who was bothering her. "Yeah.. what a night.." She shook her head a little and took another step closer to Wink, reaching out to hug him. "I'm so glad to see you." As she leaned in her voice dropped and her head turned as if to kiss his cheek though she spoke in his ear instead. "You wouldn't want to pretend to be my boyfriend for awhile would you?" She asked him, hoping he'd take the act a step further and help her get rid of the guy following and to be honest - scaring her.

He'd dismissed the thought that she was dangerous when he talked himself out of the possibility of her being his drop, but he wasn't as sure when she leaned in close. He hesitated a little, wondering if she was going to bite him or put a gun to his chest. The whisper was just as unexpected. "Aww, you missed me that much?" He played it off as something cute he might say after considering that thought a little while. If the man behind her was the 'ex', he wasn't going to be happy about her change in plans.

"I'll take that as a yes?" She hoped that his comment meant he would since he hadn't answered her directly, she bit at her lower lip and spoke again. "Okay.. I'm going to kiss you now to make it more believable.. hope you're okay with that." Amber shifted back from his ear and into his line of sight again, offering a slight smile, her eyes grateful and pleading at once as she then leaned in to kiss him as she'd said she would.

He hoped she didn't mind the pizza he'd had earlier. Regardless, she didn't seem to mind homing in and playing up whatever show she was putting on and he wasn't complaining, either. He kissed her back, though a bit awkwardly. "Sorry... it's really cold out here," he said as he pulled back, shivering a little. Something about her made him feel the shudder more deeply than just the cold, some kind of deja-vu or something being in sync in a strange way like he really did know her. He tried to place a name to the face. He kept drawing a blank. "I guess it has been a while, huh?" He wasn't sure she didn't know him, but he was sure he'd like to fix that very soon! "I guess we better go before they start locking up. Glad you didn't keep me waiting long. Brrr, huh?!" He chuckled and started to turn as if he was going to start walking home with her.

"Hey.. I'm the one in a skirt." She smiled, blinking so he wouldn't notice the way her eyes shimmered with tiny sparkles like silver fireworks exploding. "I'll be glad to get home and out of these shoes and skirt for awhile.. if you don't mind?" Amber shifted herself beside him as if it was how they always walked, sort of cuddled close because of the cold but also because she adored her boyfriend of course.. at least that's how she wanted it to appear. Between how easily he played along, to the kiss, to how she felt beside him, she could see herself adoring him if she really knew him. "So.. you had pizza.. I guess we're not getting that for dinner." She chatted a little, looking to him with a slight smile as she'd tasted hints of it in the kiss and on his breath.

"Sorry... got hungry and couldn't wait," he said, apologizing softly if it offended her. He turned with a smile for her, turning enough to glance behind for the guy following her. "What would you like tonight?" He didn't leave it limited to just dinner.

"Well.. it's not your fault I had to work past dinner time.. again. I suppose I can't be upset.. I'm good with a hot shower and whatever we have at home." She wondered how far he'd walk with her and how far the other man would follow them, though he hung back he did take a few steps after them as if unsure whether to continue or not.

"Um. We have pizza," he chuckled. "Or cereal. I don't have any milk left. I have beer, though. One... I think." He seemed to think out loud, looking around the cold night and the dark block. The man was following them, but he could have meant to go this way and it just made her nervous. "You must be cold. I'm sorry." He started to encourage walking faster as if to just get her home quicker.

[Lovely]

"Yeah.. pretty chilly." She shivered both from the cold and the uneasy feeling the man following them gave her. "So we're going back to your place.. I didn't bring a change of clothes with me.. you won't mind me borrowing something of yours.. will you?" She batted her lashes at him, a little smile on her mouth as she asked him in a teasing way, still acting for the guy behind them though finding the one next to her seemed to be genuinely nice.

"No problem. We'll take care of that," he said, looking to her, but being sure she saw the glance to the man behind them. She was too nervous to pass it off as just paranoia. She seemed too together to be nutty that way. "Anything you need tonight... just have to ask. Okay?" He said it in a sweet way as if dispelling any fears she had.

For a moment she just stared at him with this soft expression, he was being genuine and showing such kindness and warmth toward a stranger in need. In that instant she decided she adored him even if she didn't know his name. "Okay." She leaned to kiss his cheek and forced herself not to look back at the man behind them, she liked what she saw in Wink far better.

She didn't ask for help and what she did seem to be asking for had him almost wondering if he was just a hit for the night and the guy behind her owned her. He dismissed that thought almost as quickly. The guy wouldn't be this open about his girls and she seemed to be genuinely scared though hiding it well. "Okay then. So... what's the story? How's your night going?" He asked, trying to understand more as he started walking with her again, taking the turn at the street instead of the alley he'd come down originally.

"Oh.. it was the usual crowd at the diner and Angie called out so I had to cover the tables she would have... and worked till closing. That's why I am extra eager to get out of these shoes tonight. I don't reccomend twelve hours on yor feet in heels. You know, just in case you ever find yourself in that position." She chuckled softly and shifted just a little closer, her voice lowering again. "Then some creep started hitting on me, following me, and not taking a very clear 'no' for an answer. I really owe you one." She said it quiet enough the guy behind them wouldn't hear but hopefully Wink would without her needing to repeat herself or speak more loudly.

"Guess he doesn't understand your language," he said, frowning a little as he fumbled in his pocket as if his other hand was cold. He felt the handle slide into his palm, the trigger tempting his finger already. He wasn't intending to kill anyone tonight, but things happened sometimes. "Or maybe you didn't say it loud enough. Slow down just a little," he suggested, intending for the man to get within a few feet of them.

"I guess.." She frowned a little wondering what Wink had in mind as he asked her to slow down, she really didn't want the other guy that close again, when he'd come up behind her at the check point it had made her skin crawl. "Do I have to?" She asked softly but did it anyway, walking at a less hurried pace and looking over to Wink with a slightly worried expression.

"Not really, but I do. Go.. run to 614 and wait under the stairs," he whispered, hoping she'd take the hint to run and he'd take care of thug-one behind her. He stopped suddenly and the gun was pulled from his coat as he turned. Now that they were out of sight of the patrol at the gates, he wasn't afraid to break out of his shell a little more. He seemed larger in some aspects as he straightened his shoulders and stood taller. "Look mister, this is a party of two. Back off! A'ight?"'

[Lovely]

She shivered slightly as he whispered in her ear, something told her to listen and do what he said. The look in her eyes told him she didn't want anything bad to happen to him, especially because of her. Amber bit her lower lip and took off running as Wink turned and faced off with the other man, it took all her will power to keep going and not turn back but somehow she felt as if she'd put Wink in more danger if she stayed. 614 came up faster than she expected and she almost ran by, but turned and stumbled, ducking beneath the stairs to hide like she'd been told.

Grinning slightly, the man behind them scoffed at the sight of the gun. "Take it easy, pal. Just walkin' home for the night. Just walkin' home," he said, not appearing shaken. He watched the girl run off and duck away, noting the distance to where she stopped. He nodded a little then, looking over Wink and his form that seemed larger than before. "Bet she breaks easy for you. Have a nice night," he said, turning to spit a gnawed piece of toothpick to the ground before he turned to cross the street and disappear up the next dark alley.

Wink watched him, not wanting to use the bullet that alone cost him nearly more than the gun itself had. Why did he have a thing for the rare and unique like this collector, anyway? He kept the gun aimed the entire time the man walked away, only lowering it once he was sure he wasn't coming back out of the alley with reinforements. After a minute, he hadn't yet, but he wasn't waiting for two. He jogged up to where he'd told her to wait. "Okay, before he comes back, let's go," he said, looking around the area. He appeared to shrink slightly in the shadows now.

Amber had squeezed her eyes closed for a couple of minutes, and scolded herself for being stupid as she knew it was a better idea to keep them open and pay attention to what was going on in the street. Sometimes it just hurt to watch people, especially the evolved when they used their gifts. She was a seeker and though she'd learned how better to control and react to her gifts, things still caught her off guard sometimes. She blinked a few times to clear the colorful haze around Wink as she came out from her hiding spot, he had pretty colors at least and not some clashing neon that hurt her eyes. "Good idea." She murmured try to keep her gaze averted enough that he wouldn't see the 'fireworks' in her own eyes though she knew even if he didn't see it now she couldn't hide it for long.

"You okay? You're not crying are you? He's gone, at least for now," he said, noticing how she blinked rapidly and turned away as if she didn't want him to see her scared or something. "Still a little way to go. If he comes back, hopefully he'll dig around here a while instead."

"No, I'm not crying." She looked up to let him see she was tear free but just as quickly realized the mistake and closed her eyes. "I.. I just got some dust or something in them.. I'm fine.. well not fine.. still a little shaken but better.. thank you." Her eyes opened again and she tried to give a bright smile and act like nothing unusual had happened. "I'm ready to go.. if you are.. that was pretty smart.. the whole having me hide here as if it were your place."

[Lovely]

He thought he saw a shimmer of some kind, but the scattered lights sometimes made things look strange in reflection in this area. He made note of it thought - usually it was the eyes that gave them away and always the first thing they checked if there was any suspicion. She'd gotten through the gates, though. That confused him and made his expression crinkle slightly. "Yeah, smart. I pulled a gun on him and he didn't seem too worried about it. -That- worries me," he said, looking around a little more and starting off toward his real home that was several buildings away from this one and plenty of space to search if the guy really needed her.

"Maybe he just thought it wasn't loaded?" She suggested with a slight shrug and chewed at her lower lip, not sure what would make a normal man act so cool with a gun pointed at him. Maybe he was some sort of criminal who was used to that sort of thing? That wasn't very reassuring and she didn't want to think on it too much, she quickly followed Wink as he started off again, she really didn't want to be alone out here.. besides he was kind of cute and under different circumstances they might have hit it off, she wanted to keep his company a little longer.

"Yeah that's probably it," he said, though not convinced. Maybe the guy saw through them both, or at least knew what he was. He reached his arm back out to her. "Seriously, you've got to be freezing. Don't take this wrong way, but maybe you should stick around until morning when it warms up a little out here, huh? Next one. How are you for stairs? Third floor?" He nodded to the next building where they would leave the street. The place looked a little better kept than most, with the majority of windows still in place and several units with lights on indicated some form of normal life.

He sounded about as convinced as she was, the only thing she knew was that the guy wasn't a mutant - he was 'normal' but other than that any reason was possible for why he wasn't afraid of a gun. "I am pretty cold.. I should have brought a change of clothes to work but it's easier to get through the check point when you don't have a bag they have to search. That and I didn't expect to be out after dark, it was warmer earlier.." She rambled a little and then made herself stop, biting her lower lip as she tried not to ignore his comments with her own nervous babbling. "Are you sure I wont be putting you out if I stay?" She asked to give him the chance to bow out if he didn't really want her to. "Third floor? You won't think I'm rude if I take off these heels as soon as we get up there?"

"I won't think you're rude if you take them off now," he chuckled, wondering how anyone could walk in the things to start with. "You're not putting me out if I'm inviting you. If wanted you to just take off, I would've left you waiting at the stairs. Don't worrry about it. Come on up," he said, working a key at the front door that seemed light enough to break through if someone really wanted in.