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Post by Kylie Xian on Jun 17, 2011 19:56:04 GMT -8
Kylie had never been a girl that found herself limited by much of anything. Rules, walls (physical and metaphorical), they could never hold such a rambunctious spirit as hers. Not for long anyway.
Her brother hadn't left her side until her wings had healed completely from her little... incident.. upon her approach to St. Luthor. As completely as they would, anyway - there would forever be an uneven patch in her silky black feathers. Something her mother would have clucked her tongue and shook her head at surely, Kylie realized. Xaver had taken her home from the hospital and she'd been perched on his luxurious couch ever since. No bird could stand such stillness! As soon as she'd healed well enough to hide her wings she'd been prowling the streets, exploring.
As much as her confidence told her she could go anywhere, intuition told her that this particular place, even this street, wasn't the best idea. Nor her gut, which she had never ignored before in her life... Even so, she couldn't shake the scent her nose had caught as she'd passed one of the shattered, moldy windows of the run-down hotel. She didn't have nearly the sense of smell that a werewolf had, but she sure could recognize the scent of her own family if she smelled it.
Xences... and he hadn't been gone long, if her senses told her right. She didn't know why she could smell him - why his scent would be so strong... Kylie wrinkled her nose in disgust and backed away from the window. Eww. Maybe she didn't want to know why his grungy smell was lingering all over a nasty hotel room.
Kylie tugged the strings of the hood over her head, concealing her face and raven hair more effectively. The puffiness of the neon pink hoodie was designed for comfort and often made others look big, but it dwarfed and almost swallowed her tiny frame. She pursed her mouth, slinking back into the shadows of the street and contemplated moving on...
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Post by Nathaniel Kingston on Jun 17, 2011 20:35:55 GMT -8
Damn, damn, DAMN! Nathaniel looked down at the scene, blood pouring in all directions. He was lucky he was wearing some old shoes, because they were brilliantly scarlet by now. He had already made his phone call to the NHRA, confirming that he believed it to be by the same killer, and had already walked the area to look for clues. There was just no evidence anywhere. It was all so damn frustrating.
"You guys will wrap up, right? You don't need me anymore." Nathaniel raised his hand a little in farewell and left the area. God, it was sick there. The whole scene was just red. It stayed burned into his mind. And the stench was terrible, though it always smelled bad in this neighborhood. He needed some fresh air, but he couldn't go flying until he was sure his wings wouldn't get stained. Blood did not come out of pure white wings. Ugh. He needed a walk.
The smell of blood stuck to him, and he considered ditching his shoes as soon as he got into a better neighborhood. Flying home and getting a new pair (and a shower) wasn't too bad of a plan. Then maybe a bar. Nathaniel wasn't a big drinker, but he needed it after this last one. Then again, he had work in the morning, and he wasn't fond of drinking if he was on-call at the NHRA. Damn. There was no way to vent his frustration.
He rounded the corner to the despicable hotel which served as the main rape 'n' stay. Nathaniel didn't even want to think about what went on there, and he didn't give it a second glance. Something caught the corner of his eye, though, and he glanced around to get a good look. There was a minute girl in a giant pink hoodie. At first, the thought that maybe it was the new get up for the whores, but something told him differently. Then her scent hit his nose, and his eyes widened. No, absolutely not. There was no way that she could be who she smelled like. Another whiff and he was positive. Ohhh, her brother was going to go ape shit if he found out.
Nathaniel walked over and laid a firm hand on her shoulder. "What the hell do you think you are doing here, Kylie? And wearing a shirt that screams 'Look at me! I'm small and unarmed!' Don't you know what kind of place this is?"
Okay, it was a bit harsh, but Nathaniel wasn't having a good night, and seeing Kylie in a bad neighborhood where a woman was skinned alive only three blocks away... yeah, no. Forget manners. He'd apologize later when she wasn't in danger of being kidnapped and raped.
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Post by Kylie Xian on Jun 17, 2011 20:54:18 GMT -8
Kylie was about to turn wing and leave when a heavy hand landed on her shoulder out of no-where. So much for good intuition. A yelp caught in her throat as she whirled around, wide blue eyes turning skyward to face her would-be attacker. Widening still when they saw Nathaniel, and the expression that was clearly written on his face.
At his lecture her eyes fell slightly, shaded by long, thick raven lashes. Her gaze flickered about them as he mentioned how horrible it was, noting the drab buildings and nasty people and his point. Sheepishly, she looked back up at him.
"I just..."
Her small mouth pursed and her eyes found his, the directness of her dark blues penetrating.
"I smelled Xences," she said simply. Only out of respect for Nathaniel did she not jerk her shoulder away or frown. "He was gone already. I guess if he was here I should have known what kind of place it is, but.."
Small shoulders raised as high as they could go in an exasperated, frustrated sigh.
"I didn't. I'm sorry if I made you upset, Mister Nate."
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Post by Nathaniel Kingston on Jun 17, 2011 21:05:49 GMT -8
"Just Nate," he corrected automatically with a sigh. He brought a hand up and rubbed his eyes. "You didn't make me angry, per se. I was already upset when I saw you. It's been a long day, and this neighborhood is covered in death. How about we go get some ice cream or something? Anything that passes my apartment is good. I need to change my shoes."
Nathaniel looked down at his blood-soaked shoes with slight disgust and shook his head. He didn't want Kylie to think of him like all the other Fallen she knew. He meant what he said about her confiding her secrets in him. He understood the need to tell people things. He knew how lonely it could get. "I guess that I'm just disappointed that you came here alone and didn't call anyone, call me, to come with you as soon as you realized you were heading into a bad area."
Nathaniel let the hurt seep into his voice as he started to unbutton his shirt. He tucked the cloth into his pants pocket before he stretched his arms out. His black tattoo stood out against his skin, even in the darkness. Then he brought out his white, white wings and waved them slightly in the air to catch where the air flow was.
"You coming?" he asked. He glanced back at Kylie again and smiled a little. "Don't worry, I won't tell on you."
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Post by Kylie Xian on Jun 20, 2011 3:20:53 GMT -8
The hurt in his tones made her pretty head tip to the side, blue eyes looking up at him with a wide, prying innocence. He was confusing, this Nathaniel, but he was nice to her and she hadn't sensed anything but honesty from him.
Completely opposite of her brother, Kylie trusted others with an easy implicitness unless instinct told her otherwise. It had gotten her into a few scrapes now and then, but her heart was too pure to immediately look for the bad in others. She trusted Nathaniel, though she couldn't put her finger on exactly why, and she liked him.
White wings spread behind him and she watched, not out of character to stare more than a little. What you see was very much what you got from the young lady.
"Yes," she said softly, snapping out of the reverie and dropping her eyes from a particularly shiny spot on his wings. She pulled her pink sweater over her head and rolled it into a ball. She wore a daisy printed silk tank top beneath and when she dropped her shields and spread her wings wide there was a slight tearing of the fabric down the back. Enormous obsidian wings opened wide, silken feathers neatly aligned except for a small place in the center of her right where they grew in a little disheveled looking - a permanent reminder of the atrocities men could commit.
Tucking her sweater beneath an arm, she cast one final sidelong look to the hotel before she widened her wings and in one heavy beat propelled herself high into the chilly sky. The cool air felt good against her skin and she sighed softly, beating her wings in a relaxed manner to tread the air until Nathaniel joined her.
"You need to rid of those shoes, Nate. They smell really bad."
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Post by Nathaniel Kingston on Jun 20, 2011 16:06:46 GMT -8
"Don't I know it?" A look of disgust crossed his face again and he launched himself into the air with a sickening squelch. He flew up to Kylie and then looked around to quickly get his bearings. He pointed toward his apartment, a couple of miles away from where they were, in a much nicer part of town. "That's where my apartment is. We'll go there first. We can decide what to do when we're there."
Nathaniel took lead, since he knew where he was going. His powerful wings beat the air as he gained altitude. He never traveled very low whenever he flew over the city, because it was just too noticeable. He liked to hang closer to the clouds and to the eyes on the ground, look like a bird. His wings helped, they blended into the clouds pretty easily. The same could not be said for Kylie's wings, unfortunately.
They flew for a few minutes, taking in the scenery around them. They flew over the squalid neighborhood and then over the park. There were children playing, running through the grass. Then they were in another residential area, this one much nicer. Nathaniel dropped altitude gradually and pointed ahead to the tallest apartment building in the neighborhood. "The top floor is mine."
He started to slow down, his wings beating the air once more, and he lightly grabbed his thick railing and sat on it so that his blood-soaked shoes wouldn't touch the balcony. He slid them off, along with his socks, and held them in his hand as he swung over the railing and cleared the way for Kylie to land. While she did so, he searched in his pocket for the key to the sliding door. It was weird that the balcony door had a lock on it, but he figured that if he used it as an entrance, others could too. Soon, the door was open and he stepped into his airy apartment. He turned to look at Kylie. "Please make yourself at home. I'm going to go change real quick. I won't be a minute."
The apartment had a light color theme, with sky blue walls and a light cherry wood floor which was polished to perfection. The furniture was comfortable and made with a darker cherry wood, which stood boldly from the floor. The cushions are the chairs were light pinkish-red, with darker red pillows to match. The whole place was decorated with various lovely art pieces on the walls, wide windows, and a plant or two in the corners. It was a very nice apartment, obviously well-loved.
Nathaniel came out a few moments later, in a whole new outfit. He grinned and spread himself out on the couch lazily. "I love this place. It's one of the few buildings I can be indoors without feeling squished. What do you think?"
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Post by Kylie Xian on Jun 21, 2011 21:39:47 GMT -8
Nathaniel rose to meet her and they took off toward his place with little input or argument on her part. She was fine to go wherever he wanted, based easily on the fact that she trusted him. Trusted the white winged Fallen leading her across the city with a completeness that may have been, perhaps, ignorant. She didn't know him well, after all. Kylie liked him, though, and her innocent heart found that to be enough.
Her black wings stuck out in the light sky compared to Nathaniel's like a sore thumb. Though her heart was bright, her wings better suited darkness. Beating in heavy strides behind her she toyed with the clouds and kept curious eyes on the city. Wary eyes - the shot from an uninhabited swamp had been a wake up call to keep her eyes open and aware.
When they arrived at his building she hovered as he took off his shoes, then landed on the balcony with as heavy a sound her small form could make. Kylie gave a bright grin as she regained her balance, large wings rustling behind her as she brought them in and folded them up. Vanishing them, she flashed Nathaniel a smile. She nodded as he disappeared into the apartment, stepping in after with wide, absorbing blue eyes. It was finely decorated and had the air of the skies it inhibited, large and comfortable and suitable for any Fallen. She looked around with a respectable ease, smelling the fresh breeze, cherry wood, an Nathaniel all over. It was very homely and felt much like her brother's apartment. When her eyes skimmed a nearby dresser her pretty head tipped to the side in curiousness. A necklace rested between a few childish drawings, seemingly out of place for the modern bachelor pad. She was about to step toward it when Nathaniel returned from changing.
"I like it, Nate," she said over a smile. "Did she like it too..?"
She tipped her head toward the innocent items, blue eyes openly curious. Kylie held little back - it was a trait that often turned others away.
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Post by Nathaniel Kingston on Jun 21, 2011 22:17:03 GMT -8
"She... never got to see it." Nathaniel walked over to the little dresser and smiled at the necklace sadly. His eyes seemed far away as he pulled out a picture frame from behind the child-drawn pictures. He held it tight for a moment before showing it to Kylie. In the picture, there were five people. In the front, there was a pretty girl who had the biggest smile on her face. Beside her was a young boy, slightly older than her, who greatly resembled Nathaniel. He had a huge grin to match her smile. To her other side, there was another young boy, younger than her, who also had a big smile on. In the back, a beautiful woman and a fairly handsome man sat, grins on their faces as well. "She's the one in the middle. She was a wonderful little kid. She was shot in the heart when I was fifteen. She was only eleven."
Nathaniel smoothed his hair back and took a deep breath, fighting back the emotions that still dwelt closer to the surface than he wanted. He smiled again, and picked up the necklace. "She loved this thing. I got it for her for her birthday, and she never took it off after that. She was such a silly bird."
"I'm sure you don't want to hear about that sad story though. It's kind of depressing." Nathaniel grinned slightly as he put the necklace down with practiced care. He looked at Kylie with an inquisitive glance. "Would you like anything to drink? I've got coffee, tea, milk, juice... stuff like that. Personally, I could go for a cup of coffee."
Nathaniel crossed the room to the kitchen. There was no wall between the rooms, just a counter, to fit the open style of the apartment. He watched Kylie as he ground the beans and stuck them in the coffee pot. It started to steam and he let it go for a minute. "Actually, now that I think about it, you're the first girl that's been in this apartment since I got it. I guess I don't have company over very much."
The coffee was done, and he grabbed a small mug and poured himself a cup. He blew on it gently before sipping the hot liquid with a contented sigh. His muscles relaxed as he cradled the cup in his hands.
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Post by Kylie Xian on Jun 29, 2011 20:02:05 GMT -8
Kylie's face deeply reflected her brother's as she listened to the story, her blue eyes large and watching Nathaniel intently. Her face was stony, allowing the story to affect her - as her eyes flickered over the picture and back to the man holding it, there was a new-found respect and interest in the Fallen before her.
"You saved me and Xav from a similar fate, you know," she pointed out gently, watching the care in which he set the necklace down and frowning sadly at it.
Nathaniel did not deserve that sort of pain.
She shook her head at his offer, then looked sharply up at him.
"The first girl? Are you gay?"
With the grin lighting her face, she obviously didn't believe so but thought the proclamation quite absurd.
"Nate, you're a good looking guy. You've got to get out there, friend."
Kylie shook her head, jamming her thumbs into the butt pockets of her jeans and making the neon sweatshirt poof slightly around her tiny middle.
And he said his sister was the silly bird.
"So, what do you wanna do today?"
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Post by Nathaniel Kingston on Jun 29, 2011 21:24:02 GMT -8
"Gay?" Nathaniel's face turned red. He coughed a little and rubbed the back of his hair, a common gesture he made when he was embarrassed or nervous or both. "No, not gay. Just... not in a relationship, I guess. What I meant was friend-wise. Like, the last people I had here were friends from work, and that was near two years ago."
He laughed a little. "You think so? Most women are turned off by the amount of work I have to do, especially since it is mostly self-imposed. They think that I don't care about them or something ridiculous like that."
"I don't know. I mean, I don't even know what there is to do around town. Guess I don't have much of a life. Again, that work thing. I'm going to hold up my end of the deal on getting ice cream, but that won't take long. I'd sure like to learn about you, that's for certain. I mean, I've saved your ass twice now. And don't think that you would have been okay wandering that neighborhood. I saw how many creepers were looking at you. Anyways, I wanna know why you are so curious about Xences and all those secrets that no one knows." Nathaniel grinned. He finished his mug of coffee and set it in the sink, running some water into it. "That is, of course, if you don't mind sharing."
"So, I guess I'm saying, going somewhere fun where we can still talk. And, preferably, some place that doesn't have too many ears listening in either." Okay, so he was a bit paranoid, but that came with the job. Honestly. It was in his job description. 'Be aware of spies or bugs in the most common of places.' Besides, he was with a princess, and goodness knows how many sick creeps wanted to kill her for 'the greater good.'
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Post by Kylie Xian on Jun 29, 2011 22:00:52 GMT -8
"Mm, ice cream."
It was said nonchalantly and under her breath while Nathaniel spoke. It didn't interrupt him - it wasn't meant to.
"I don't mind sharing," she said with a wistful shrug, mouth pursed thoughtfully. "Let's go to ice cream, and figure out the details later."
It was hard to keep a bird still, let alone a young one with too much energy to know what to do with. Kylie flashed Nathaniel a grin then all but skipped back out the sliding doors, perching her butt on the balcony and waiting for him to finish his coffee while she spread her wings into view.
She absently drew the end of one across her lap, picking mindlessly at the shiny, heavy black feathers with loving fingers.
"I guess you have saved my ass, so I guess I do owe you a few answers."
Kylie smiled over at him.
"There's not much to learn about little old me, though."
She shrugged her small shoulders, her neon sweatshirt gleaming in the daylight.
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Post by Nathaniel Kingston on Jun 29, 2011 23:10:33 GMT -8
Well, that was decided quickly. Nathaniel grinned as she bounced back to his balcony. He grabbed a new pair of shoes and slid them on quickly before following her. He drew the sliding door shut again and locked it before stowing the key in his pants pocket. He tucked his shirt in his pants before bringing out his wings. The tips of his wing brushed her shoulder gently as he swung himself over the railing. He rustled the expanses of white feathers gently, and one fell out. He grabbed it mid-air and tucked it behind Kylie's ear. "Hmm, looks good with your hair."
He laughed as he launched himself into the hair with a strong beat of his wings. Confident that she would follow, he started to head toward the best ice cream place in town. It was one of those joints that didn't look amazingly amazing. It sat squarely in the middle-class district. The ice cream, though, was homemade and out of this world. People from all social strata came to eat at the place.
It was only a few minutes from Nathaniel's place, and he landed a block away from it gently. He tucked in his wings, threw on his shirt, and stuck his hands in his pockets as he started to walk the rest of the way. The ice cream parlor itself was a pretty, pastel blue building. It was obviously fairly old, but well maintained. There was a vast amount of outdoor seating, which was mostly empty because of the wintery months. The inside, though, was still bustling with activity. He entered, and the heavenly smell of cream hit his nose. He turned back for Kylie.
"They've got a bunch of flavors here. Personally, I'm a sucker for their chocolate chip cookie dough. Even the dough is made here, and it is delicious. He walked over to the counter to order and smiled at the lady. "Hello, I'd like a small of chocolate chip cookie dough, and she'll have...?"
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Post by Kylie Xian on Jun 29, 2011 23:22:40 GMT -8
"Double chocolatey chocolate fudge with some vanilla syrup, gummy-bears, and sprinkles, please."
Kylie flashed the humans behind the counter her sweetest, I'm-from-heaven smile and passed a wink and 'thank-you' to Nathaniel.
She twitched and hummed until her little fingers wrapped around her vanilla cone, then grinned her way to a two-seater table in the corner of the cute ice cream parlor.
She licked and nibbled at her towering concoction without inhibition or guilt, much to the jealousy of the women around her, elbows on the small table. She was oblivious to them. When she'd sated the edge of her craving, she passed Nathaniel a warm, chocolatey grin.
"Thank you," she said quietly, dabbing a napkin across her lips. She gave the cone a nibble, eying him. "Now, fair is fair. I have my chocolate... What answers do you want?"
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Post by Nathaniel Kingston on Jul 4, 2011 21:38:59 GMT -8
Nathaniel's eyebrows raised as Kylie placed her order, but he kept silent. The girl definitely knew what she wanted. His eyes followed the concoction as the ice-cream lady passed it to her and his to him. He walked over to the register and paid before following Kylie over to a seat. He slid in the booth and licked his ice cream thoughtfully as she thanked him.
"Well, I'm not looking for any answers in particular. I mean, I'm curious as to what Xences is to you and why you would actively go search for him. And really, I just want to learn more about you. You said that it is lonely in Lenity, so I'm offering an ear to your problems and your secrets. I'm sure you have things you want to tell someone, but you can't tell your big brother. I understand that. I promise I won't tell anyone if you confide in me. Also, and understand this, I promise to protect you if you just tell me. I gave you my number for a reason. I'll always answer." Nathaniel leaned across the table as he talked, trying to impress the importance of his words and his vows. When he said he would do something, he never took it back. He was much too honest of a person to ever break a promise.
"And, of course, if you have any questions for me, you are free to ask them too." Nathaniel smiled again and leaned back, taking a big lick of his ice cream. He worried a chunk of the cookie dough from the ice cream's cold embrace and chewed on it thoughtfully. Then he laughed, "Though I don't know what you could ask me. I'm just an ordinary guy with an ordinary job."
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Post by Kylie Xian on Jul 18, 2011 23:35:51 GMT -8
Kylie eyed Nathaniel with her wide blue gaze as she nibbled idly at her ice cream, listening with an attention that was all-encompassing. Swallowing when he leaned slightly over the table and warming at the soul at his words.
She liked Nathaniel. Despite her tendency toward naivety and gullibility, Kylie had a huge heart that latched on to a seldom few. Nathaniel was one of them, and when he professed sincerity and loyalty, she believed him with a completeness that would go undeterred.
Her dark blues glittered with an affectionate appreciation, lingering even as her small smile faded when she began to speak.
"Xences is the other half of Xaver. It's hard for me to understand that he could really be that different.. Though I've only known him to do evil. I don't get him. He is my brother. I have always and will always feel like there is a piece of me missing, you know?"
Her mouth pursed as she lowered her ice cream slightly.
"I miss him and I don't even know him."
Kylie looked up at him, raven eyebrows furrowed, and slugged a slender shoulder.
"Xaver says it's because he is blood and I will always feel this way, but that I shouldn't. I don't understand how he doesn't care about his twin, no matter how nuts he is."
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