Enjoying the View [Open!]

[Nathaniel Kingston]

Nathanial liked tall buildings. He liked to hang out on the roofs of the tall buildings and gaze down at the city below him. He could relax, take off the facade of being a tough-guy sleuth, and let his more pensive side come out. He was free from society's standards, if only for a moment. It was a moment that he desperately craved.

The day had been a tough one. He received a call from the NHRA early in the morning that there had been a non-human attack. The victim of the assailment survived, but he was completely unrecognizable because of the wounds. So, of course, Nathaniel went to the crime scene to see if he could find any traces of who had done it.

It hadn't been very successful. The person who was behind the attack was careful and obviously had planned it for some time. There were traces of hair which were unaccounted for, but the sample could have come from virtually anywhere. The blood around was all the victim's. So, after a long day of scouring an area the radius of one mile around the crime scene, the sleuth tried to find some witnesses, which were not to be had.

At nine o' clock, he got a call from the NHRA saying that the victim was awake and relatively coherent. He went over and visited the poor guy, but 'relatively coherent' apparently meant not understandable at all. Great. That was an hour wasted. By the time he was done, Nathanial needed some fresh air.

When he opened the roof door, Nathaniel started to strip down. He was slightly agitated, and he felt very confined. He took off his jacket and his tee shirt, and folded them over his arm before he released his wings. His wings were the purest white, contrasting heavily with his black tattoo. He stretched them out to their full extent before taking a seat on one of the low bits of concrete and settling them down into a not-quite-closed position.

The breeze of the rooftop cleared his head pretty quickly, and the lights of the city calmed him. The knot of tension between his shoulder blades melted away. For the first time that day, he was relaxed.

[Xaver Xian]

It was the wind that called him. Strong gusts that tasted of the ocean and wove through the neatly preened feathers of his wings like gentle, attentive fingers of a lover. Xaver sat on the edge of the rooftop of the Medical Center, legs dangling over the side of the enormous building and swinging without a hint of fear. Large black wings folded comfortably and settled on his bare back, his large palms planted on his muscular thighs, the Fallen lord slouched easily in his lonesome peace. Perched on the corner of the building he was more or less hidden from view, the large square air conditioning vents seated atop the building casting a large shadow his way and eloquently disguising his form from view.

It was the sound of a door that startled him from his thoughts, his gaze lifting from the crowded streets below to the expanse of rooftop, settling on a male figure that was walking toward the opposite edge. His dark blues followed the man as he stripped and released his wings, sitting still unaware to Xaver's own presence. White wings. A hint of recognition at the bloodline stirred in his thoughts, but familiarity to the man himself remained nonexistent.

As the man sat Xaver rose, swinging his legs over the concrete barrier and standing to the true height of his tall being. Clad in expensive black dress slacks and new black shoes, his well muscled upper body was in full view - pale and scarred and in striking contrast to the blackness of his wings, so dark they absorbed light more than they reflected it. He stretched slightly, wings shuffling into a more comfortable position, tilting his handsome head in curiosity at the fellow across the building.
The man seemed relaxed, for lack of words.

Clasping hands too rough to belong to a business man behind his back, Xaver padded slowly across the building. His footsteps gave off little in the way of sound, the wind catching him more fiercely as he rounded the air conditioning vents and tickling the raven hair atop his head and feathers at his back like a siren's breath of pleasure. He had been flying most of the day, between routine business details, but the urge still had not been sated. He was a bird at heart.

"The skies have graced us both with good weather, and this building us a rooftop, I see," he said in low, calm tones.
He had stopped a few feet short of the man, hands still folded behind his back and well-defined form without a hint of tense or distrusting muscle.
Patient and curious for both strangers and friends. It was the way Xaver was, ruling or in the grimy downtown of St.Luthor. No facades.

[Nathaniel Kingston]

"They have, my lord Xaver." Nathaniel hadn't heard the man come over, but he was skilled at reacting quickly and adjusting to whatever situation he was in. That was one reason he was a sleuth. He got off the bit of concrete he was sitting on and bowed low to his prince before straightening. Sure, he had never actually met the Fallen Prince before, but as a sleuth, it was his responsibility to know all of the important personages who lived in the city. Besides, Xaver was Fallen nobility, so of course Nathaniel would know his face enough to be able to recognize him.

That wasn't saying that he wasn't nervous. On the contrary, the knot in his shoulders came back with a painful pang as he tensed. Nathaniel heard much about the prince, but rumors had a tendency to be false for the most part, to be taken with a grain of salt. So, he didn't really know how the man acted. He needed to watch his step, but he also needed to be polite and friendly. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to add 'insulted royalty' to the list of things that had gone wrong today.

"Nathaniel Kingston, at your service," he said. Sure, that was nice and polite. That wouldn't get him in trouble, unless Nathaniel had some convict in his family that he didn't know about. If that was the case, then things could get problematic. He was sure that his father would have told him if a person like that existed. Yeah, almost certainly.

A gust of wind came from the building, pushing hard on all that stood in its way. It was colder than it had been a moment ago, and seemed to bear ill-will on its back. Nathaniel shivered. He didn't like the wind warning of bad things to come. As if triggered by the gust, Nathaniel's cell phone went off. He glanced apologetically at Xaver before looking down to see who was calling. The NHRA again. Honestly, didn't they have any other sleuths? And at this hour too? Something bad must have happened.

"Forgive me, my lord, I have to take this." Nathaniel grimaced before answering the phone. "Hello, this is Kingston."

"Kingston, there was another attack. The police report indicates that it is the same sort of wounds that were on the first victim. She's being sent to the Medical Center right now. Get there as fast as you can," the voice over the phone was female, meaning that it was Judy, the night time operator. She was a vampire, but that was nothing to hold against her. She was a very sweet lady, usually. As it was, she sounded tense.

"I'm already at the hospital. I guess they'll want me to go to the crime scene afterwards? Honestly, doesn't the NHRA have any other sleuths?"

"No, you stay with the victim this time, when she gets there. And they did pull someone else to cover the crime scene, so you don't have to worry about that. You guys will meet up in the morning."

"What about sleep? Don't I get any?"

"Sleuths don't sleep. Keep me posted, Kingston." There was an audible click on the other line.

Nathaniel pocketed the phone and looked out into the city. The sirens started to wail, and he knew that those were his sirens. He rubbed his eyes. A long day had just turned into a long night.

[Xaver Xian]

The man rose from the concrete, easily masking what Xaver could sense as surprise and doing it well. Xaver nodded his head once in formal acknowledgment to the man's bow.
"Well, Nathaniel Kingston, it is my pleasure to be of your acquaintance," he said in low, accented tones.
He found no need to introduce himself, for the Fallen man before him seemed to already know. Both a gift and a curse was royalty, though Xaver knew most said such about being Fallen in the first place while living in St.Luthor as a preternatural being. He was well used to being recognized, especially by Fallen. Though he had been on Earth for the greater part of the last decade and had been living amongst the people of St. Luthor, he had never been in hiding and welcomed any who recognized him as a Fallen lord.
Dark blue eyes looked over the man before him with a calm, unyielding gaze, the ancient soul within concealed by young, handsome features. The man's nervousness was evident, but greatly overwhelmed in Xaver's eyes by a firm backbone and genuine principles of good manners. Living in the City and out of the Fallen realm where all knew his face, he had certainly seen worse.
A small, warm smile tilted a side of his mouth.

Interrupted by the ringing of the man's phone, Xaver smiled further and bowed his head. Hands still clasped loosely behind his well-defined back, he turned slightly to look out over the streets as Nathaniel began to converse with female tones coming from his phone. He said he was a sleuth. A raven brow arched and Xaver passed the man another glance, both bemused and curious. As Nathaniel hung up and brought a hand to his tired eyes, Xaver rested a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Not so easy carrying so many worlds on your shoulders, mm?" He said, his voice quiet but speaking directly through the noise of the city and wail of the nearing sirens.
There wasn't pity in his dark blues, but understanding.

He gave Nathaniel's shoulder a squeeze then nodded down to the incoming ambulance.
"Take care of them. Perhaps afterword if it is that you are not busy, I might buy you a coffee. I will be at the minute stand on Fifth. I am quite fond of that place, actually.."
He didn't mention that the former coffee shop he adored was currently out of business and half in ruins, full of bullet holes and charred wood.
He closed his eyes briefly and gave a slight bow to Nathaniel at the waist, then sprung from the rooftop and was gone into the foreboding clouds above.

[Nathaniel Kingston]

Nathaniel felt the prince's eyes on him the whole time he was on the phone. He met the prince's gaze, perhaps unlike many would do. He decided that while Xaver was a prince, Nathaniel wasn't going to act too differently. He was a man, after all, and as the other Fallen seemed to understand, he also had a difficult occupation. It was comforting to realize that the prince did, in fact, seem to understand that Nathaniel's job weighed as heavily on his shoulders as Xaver's did on his. They were completely different, but still entailed the same sort of responsibility. The responsibility of keeping everyone else safe and secure. The responsibility of making sure all the children in the city could sleep in their beds safe, free from nightmares. "Not easy at all, but definitely worth it to see a brighter day in the end."

"I will do my best, my lord." Nathaniel looked at Xaver in surprise at the invitation but nodded his head. It was strange, the black-winged man seemed to be even more polite and honest than the rumors said. It was hard to find someone who wasn't corrupted or selfish. Nathaniel could tell a lot from the prince's behavior and body language. It was another perk of being an investigator. He could tell that Xaver had a lot to worry about, but the reason for that was clear. He was the leader of the Fallen, after all. He seemed to have an open mind, another hard thing to find. All in all, he seemed like a decent being. It was such an oddity.

Nathaniel bowed down low again before walking to the edge of the building and stretching his wings to their full extent. He didn't fancy running down twenty flights of stairs to get to the victim. He glanced back one more time at Xaver before throwing himself off of the building and plummeting down to the ground. He let himself fall for most of the drop, before using the enormous strength in his wings to battle gravity and land with a light tap on the pavement. He let his wings disappear and threw on his shirt and jacket, which had been clutched firmly in his hand when he jumped off of the roof. He stretched his shoulders quickly before walking into the hospital, following the rushing nurses discretely, staying out of the way. He found the room the victim was in, but was not allowed in, as they were doing emergency surgery on her. For a few minutes, he waited by the door, before a doctor came out and spotted him.

"Listen, son, there was no hope for her from the beginning. We tried our best, but what can you do when someone has been skinned like that? If you have a weak stomach, I suggest not going in there, though I'm sure you want to see her for yourself. You are her brother, right? I heard the police figured out who she was pretty quickly and contacted you," the doctor said.

"No, I'm with the NHRA. Kingston, on this case. I know it might be insensitive to ask right now, but is there any way I could go look at the victim?" Nathaniel let the doctor take a good, hard look at his badge. "The wounds obviously are from non-humans, so it's in the NHRA's jurisdiction."

"Oh, I see. Well, I'll have the nurses keep a look out for that young man. Go ahead and do what you have to do." The doctor wobbled away slowly.

Nathaniel went into the room and looked around. Immediately, he felt sick and covered his face with his arm. It was ghastly in there, the worst he had seen in a long time. There were doctor's all around the body, which was still breathing in slight gasps, and blood was everywhere. As he watched, the breathing stopped and the victim was dead. Her body had been flayed, with only a few pieces of skin left. Obviously, whoever had done the deed was skilled and extremely quick, for her to still be alive when she reached the hospital.

Nathaniel had a strong stomach, but it was too much for him. He backed out quickly and ran to the rest room he knew was down the hall. He burst in before vomiting whatever he had eaten earlier that day. The heaves subsided quickly, and he washed his mouth out before reaching for his phone. His head was still covered in sweat, but he had to report in. He dialed the number.

"This is Kingston. The victim didn't survive long enough for me to ask any questions. She was flayed alive, with very little skin left on her body. Obviously, someone skilled did this. I can't really tell you much more. Send in the autopsy guys." Nathaniel didn't wait for a reply from Judy. He hung up and washed his face before going to the nurse's desk. The nurse looked up at him with worry. "If some guy asks for that girl, saying he's her brother, do not let him in under any circumstances."

Then he walked out of the hospital and was grateful for the cold air. He didn't know how to get the image out of his mind forever, but he knew that flying would help him forget for a moment. He stripped his shirt and jacket off again, tucked them into his waistband, and let his wings erupt before launching into the sky. The air cleared his head and the feeling of happiness overwhelmed the feeling of disgust. For a while, he just flew in the sky. Perhaps thirty minutes passed before he started to look for the street that Xaver had mentioned. One thing was for sure, Nathaniel couldn't be alone. He needed some company to keep him believing in humanity, for lack of a better word.

With a heavy thump, he landed a block from the coffee station and walked down the street. He tucked his wings in, but didn't bother to hide them from sight. He was a little too distraught to think about that at the moment. He got to the coffee stand and looked around. His face was still a little green in the street light, and his eyes were still haunted with the image he had seen.

[Xaver Xian]

The wind literally beneath his wings, Xaver breathed in deeply. The salty air was fresh and crisp around him, high in the skies. For a long time he simply kept his enormous dark wings open and allowed the wind to carry him over the city, keeping to the clouds and and an eye on the ocean in the distance.
It felt so good to be free. From the bonds of formalities to the expectations of so many worlds, to be able to shed it all and spread his wings with utmost abandon was the best form of therapy Xaver knew.

He landed briefly on the shabby hospital roof to grab the bundle of clothes he had tucked into a ball near an air conditioning vent that morning, then took off again toward the center of the city. He landed easily on the paved sidewalk near the coffee stand, feet gently lowering to the earth with the patience that came with old age. A few onlookers stared at his half-naked, winged form, but he decidedly ignored them. Vanishing his wings and pulling a crisp navy blue button-down over his shoulders in the same moment, he tucked his large gray coat under his elbow as he brought his large hands to button the shirt up. Casually leaving a few buttons undone at the top, the warmed flesh of his collar teased the eye as he drug his coat around him and slipped his arms into it. It settled comfortably over his broad shoulders. A dark gray piece with black hints throughout, black buttons, and a large collar that he pressed down as he approached the coffee stand, it suited his figure well and was both dressy and casual.

"Hello, Earl," he said to the apron-clad man behind the stand, offering a friendly, familiar smile. He frequented the little stand often, liking the honey-flavored coffee and more than once hanging around after receiving his order to chat nonsense with the man. "Two coffees, if you would. One black, the other my usual."
He stepped to the side as the man made the coffee, pocketing his hands after he passed the man about triple what he owed him. The man had to work into the night on the chilly street, after all.

He had just tilted his handsome head to the sky when a thud to his left sounded Nathaniel's arrival. Blue eyes lit with curiosity and brought out in full paranormal strength by the navy of his shirt, he watched Nathanial come closer. Instantly picking up on the disheveled look of the young man and the feel of his thoughts, his brow furrowed slightly. Grabbing the coffee with a murmured thanks, Xaver rounded the stand and came face to face with Nathaniel. Having found the smell on himself many times before, the Fallen prince instantly recognized what was probably causing the others heart to race so quickly.
He offered him a lidded, steaming drink.

"You smell of blood and disgust. Coffee?"

[Nathaniel Kingston]

"Oh dear God, please." Nathaniel grasped the cup of coffee with a slight nod and poured some down his throat. It was scorching hot, but it finally got the foul taste of vomit out of his mouth. He swallowed heavily and shook his head. Now that he was back on the ground, the image was flooding into his head again.

He gained control of himself by sheer will and pushed the thoughts from his mind. Then he bowed to Xaver again, though perhaps not quite as low, since they were on the street with people all around. "Sorry for making you wait, my lord. The night gets tougher and tougher the longer I stay awake."

With the coffee coursing through his veins, he had enough of a mind to put away his wings finally. He let them disappear and shrugged on his coat, not bothering with the shirt. He was sure he was going to do more flying anyways. Why bother putting things on and off so many times. Surely, Xaver wouldn't mind, so long as he had something on his torso.

After that, Nathaniel sought out a bench with the half-empty coffee cup still in his hand. He landed heavily on the nearest one and took another swig of coffee. It was black, just like he preferred, though he was sure that was just a guess on Xaver's part. Still, it felt good and warmed him on the inside. He usually liked to be cold (what Fallen didn't?), but he needed that warmth in him at the moment.

As an afterthought, he at the prince and vaguely wondered why royalty would want to buy him coffee? Maybe he was just being friendly. Maybe he wanted to prove that just because he was royalty, that didn't mean he had to be treated differently. Whatever the reason, Nathaniel was getting more and more suspicious by the moment. It was in his job description to be suspicious. Honestly. You just have to read the fine print.

"There is some bastard out there, skinning people. I couldn't tell what his goal was with the first victim, but the second one was skinned and still breathing. For God's sake! What does the NHRA expect me to do with a skinned body? 'Relatively coherent,' they said. 'Stay with her,' they said. How the hell do they think that those are the 'same type of wounds.' The first guy was cut up and his tongue was gone. This girl, she was completely flayed!" Nathaniel couldn't hold in his frustration any longer. He wasn't really talking to Xaver in particular, he was just letting out his feelings. He loved his job, he really did, but sometimes it upset him to no end. He downed some more of the coffee before setting it on the arm of the bench and rubbing his face with his hands. Another moment went by, and he looked out at the street. Slowly, his eyes moved back to Xaver. They widened considerably.

"I am sorry, my lord, for bursting out like that!" Nathaniel jumped up again and bowed low. "Forgive me for being so rude!"

[Xaver Xian]

"Oh dear God, please."

Xaver gave a small, knowing smile as Nathaniel accepted the coffee. Bringing his own to his lips he downed a long drink of the very honeyed, sweet mixture, all but groaning in appreciation of it. Despite his position and having to hold the image of a ‘toughened’ man, leader, and whatever the hell else, Xaver loved him his sweets. He was fit and trim, sure, but he was a secret slave to honey and coffee. It was one of the things that kept him sane in a world that was growing more bitter and distasteful annually. He took another sip as the young man before him downed his drink feverishly, saying nothing and allowing him to orient himself.

“It is of no issue. And you are welcome,” he said quietly, smiling and taking another long sip as the younger man hid his white wings and forced himself into a shirt. The poor kid seemed disoriented, surely from whatever had drug him from the rooftop. Xaver wasn’t about to jump to conclusions. He’d smelled the blood from that flashing, screaming ambulance twenty stories above it.
Nathaniel dropped himself onto a bench with a heaviness that Xaver found curious enough to follow. He sat at the other end of the bench with a soft sigh, knees spread slightly in simple masculine demeanor, one hand resting on a muscular thigh and the other gripping the cup of coffee he again brought to his mouth. The cup hid the surprise on his handsome face when the other began ranting.

Xaver was a complex man. He’d seen enough to bury many a man into themselves, and had lived long enough to help pour the dirt over countless graves. It was hard to be optimistic in a world that chewed up and spat out so much goodness, let alone be a decent person. He tried. Titles, positions, they meant little to him compared to the true predisposition of people. He was a haunted man, sure enough, but he was not so jaded that he could not at least try to act normal. It was how his honorable mother had raised him, anyway. He didn’t expect people to understand. He didn’t much care if they did, either. If offering a tired-looking fellow a coffee was something to be scrutinized for, Xaver didn’t know what this world was coming to.

He let Nathaniel speak with no input on his own part, sipping coffee and watching him with his reserved, cool blue gaze. Effectively hiding both the surprise and concern churning in his stomach as the young man described, with appropriate disgust, what he had seen and had to deal with. Two bodies, so far. He listened intently, but his mind began whirring quick enough that he retreated for a moment into his own memories.
“Skinned…”
When the other jumped up Xaver twitched slightly, thankful that he’d snapped back to reality quicker than his instincts were inclined to reach his free hand into the breast pocket of his jacket. His coffee sloshed in his cup but thankfully didn’t spill through the lousy lid. Great stuff, but in cheap containers, he noted dully, lowering his other hand and adjusting his coat.

“Sit down, Nathaniel,” he said quietly, dark blue oceans focused on the man’s face with a seriousness that was as gentle as it was stern. “One thing would I have you know is that I am not a leader that finds it imperative that others are afraid of me and speaking that might upset mine.. Sensitive sensibilities? Less a man who wants it. Leave that to ancient times where it better belongs.”

His mouth twitched into a small smile, though it faded quickly. Bowing was commonplace and accepted as respectful even in this day and age for Fallen, especially in Lenity. Xaver, however, wasn’t a fan of others being afraid to say what they might in front of him, simply because of his position. Respectful was different than fear, and far more ideal.

“Murder is nothing to be insensitive of. It is better to be sickened than to find it routine and easy,” he said, blue eyes moving from the man to the coffee-stand owner, watching with a detached interest as the man began cleaning and packing up.

“Skinned… Sounds like a Skin-Walker, but I doubt it. Probability and reason says you have a sick unknown on your hands…” Xaver said thoughtfully.

[Nathaniel Kingston]

"Sorry. I just didn't know if you would want to hear that stuff. I guess... I'm just so frustrated with everything that has been going on. I usually don't rant on, especially about the cases I'm given, but I trust you for some reason. I don't know why. I barely know you. It seems as if you could understand what is going on and give me advice. That sounds crazy, doesn't it?" Nathaniel sat back down, lightly this time, and downed the rest of his coffee. He gave a small smile to the coffee man who was packing up before tossing his cup into the trash can close to the bench.

He leaned back and took a deep breath. With the coffee in his system and the cool eyes of the Fallen prince upon him, he calmed down. He opened his eyes slightly as Xaver mentioned a few possibilities of culprits. Slowly, as if subconsciously, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small notebook. He flipped it open, grabbed the pen from the top of the pad, and looked down at the paper. His left hand scribbled 'skin-walker' and 'psychotic non.' He looked back at Xaver.

"I know that this is supposed to be my area of expertise, but I've only heard mention of skin-walkers. I don't really know what they are. The NHRA classified them as near-extinct, so they didn't have much information on them during the classes. We basically just memorized the name with a bunch of other near-extinct nons. I don't suppose you could tell me anything more about them?" Nathaniel grinned sheepishly and rubbed his head. Well, he sure wasn't impressing Xaver with his immense non-vocabulary. Honestly, though, he would never have considered a skin-walker for this, because it was just a name on a paper. He was going to go with psychotic non-human, but he did want to know more about the species that the other Fallen had mentioned. His pen was poised above the notebook, ready to write down anything interesting Xaver let slip.

Once again, as Nathaniel prepared to take the notes, his phone went off. He physically stooped and groaned before fishing his phone out of his other coat pocket. He glared at the number, which said it was the NHRA calling again. Seriously, this night was starting to make Nathaniel want to quit his job. He looked at Xaver with a pained expression before holding the phone to his ear.

"Kingston," he said, his voice flat and toneless.

"Kingston, the first victim was just found in the hospital with his throat slashed. Dead by the time they found him. Wounds suggest a very ordinary blade, so no hope of tracing it. The autopsy guys were already there for the second victim, so you don't have to go over there again. If you get any leads at all, you sure as hell better follow them up." Click. The line went dead. Judy sounded angry and extremely tense. Of course, who wouldn't be, if you just kept getting calls of gruesome deaths with a ton of blood (the details of which had to be explained) and you were a vampire?

Nathaniel sighed before stowing his phone away. He looked over at Xaver again. "The first victim, whose tongue was cut off and had other wounds that weren't fatal, was just murdered in the hospital. His throat was slashed open. Of course, there is probably going to be a full inquiry as to how the hospital staff let the person who did it in, but who knows what will come of it. This bastard is good, crazy or whatever. He's damn good."

[Xaver Xian]

He trusted him?
Xaver tipped his head to the side slightly in almost bird-like interest, eying Nathaniel with a dark blue gaze that gave little away of the man beneath. Like moody oceans they swayed from the young man to his own coffee as he raised it to his lips, taking another pull of the sweet, sugary goodness.
It wasn’t that he was untrustworthy. He found himself to be very much the opposite in most situations, actually. The man’s honesty was what stirred interest, as rare and blunt as it was. Not crazy at all, for what he’d seen anyway, he thought idly as Nathaniel threw his cup away.

“I can understand,” he said quite simply as he lowered his coffee again, “and advice I will try to give you, though how helpful might it be, I am unaware.”

Nathaniel grabbed a pen and tablet and Xaver bent foreword, propping his elbows onto his thighs and swirling the coffee in his cup. He wasn’t oblivious of the groan of disapproval that came from his left when a ringer sounded, and a small smile toyed with his lips as the young man answered with due exasperation. It gave him a moment to think over the details that Nathaniel had given him, anyway. When he hung up, Xaver looked over to him, listening with a patience that as much embodied his composure as defined him.

“Were these victims Human?”
His blue eyes had hardened slightly at the description of the now two dead people. Murder was common in St. Luthor. It had been even before Non-Humans had revealed themselves to the world twenty years ago, but the recent spike in those statistics had not gone unnoticed. - especially by a man whose job and life were so closely intertwined. Even so, such brutality was never warranted. Never justified, and never understandable. Thankfully, crimes like these didn’t run rampant on St. Luthor’s streets.
The word ‘yet’ lodged itself in the Fallen lord’s mind.

“Yes… good, or desperate. Tying up any loose ends…”
Xaver’s low voice was thoughtful, his thumb tapping on the lid of his coffee.

[Nathaniel Kingston]

"I need all the help I can get. Let me see here," said Nathaniel. He flipped his notebook back to confirm the details that he already knew. "The man, the first victim, was a non, which is why the police pushed the case on to us. The second was a human woman. Attacked at different times on the same day. So far, there is no connection between them at all."

"By the skill of the kills, I'd definitely say good. I might seem young, but I've been in the NHRA for ten years just about. I've seen plenty of killings, ones that were desperate and ones that were skilled. What I saw in the hospital today was definitely skilled. I actually have this weird feeling that the killer wanted to let the first victim get to the hospital alive. Like, he wanted to show us that he was there. He intentionally drew attention to himself, more when he killed the girl, and even more when he killed the first guy. I know there aren't any clues that point to that, but it's what my gut is telling me as I read over the details again. This guy is playing with us." Nathaniel balled his fists together, but relaxed quickly. Getting angry was just what the killer wanted. He took a deep breath and leaned forward, putting his hand on his forehead.

"I'm just confused on one point. Well, no, that isn't true, I'm confused on a lot of things about this case, but one thing really stands out. There must be a motive. There has to be. I just can't figure it out. Say he really is playing with us. Why? What's the point? Is he saying that maybe he's been doing this for a long time and we've only just seen it after he's been intentionally sloppy? Or is that too deep? Maybe he just hates everyone, but that also doesn't ring quite right. There is a reason behind this, or that poor girl wouldn't have been completely skinned. She was a statement. We just can't decipher it." Nathaniel scribbled the questions he asked on the notepad. He usually did this, to help him think and to come back to questions with a fresh look later. It was a helpful tool that he always carried with him.

Nathaniel glanced over at Xaver again and managed a small smile. "I seem to talk a lot when I get passionate about something. I don't really talk to a lot of people, so it's a surprise. I definitely haven't met someone I want to talk about work with before. It's nice having someone else to bounce ideas off, instead of having to do it myself. "

[Xaver Xian]

Xaver gave a small, true smile, the genuineness illustrated by sudden warmth to the chill of his dark gaze the practiced containment his expressions usually fell into. Simple and forth-given more by duty than from the soul beneath - it came with the job. When he truly smiled it wasn't perfect, his mouth tipping unevenly to expose white teeth beneath and the corners of his eyes wrinkling slightly, but it was honest, and it was real.

"I agree completely," he responded quietly. "In fact, despite popular notion, I prefer company. More heads to knock ideas onto, or however they say."

He shifted more comfortably in his seat, taking another long sip of his coffee while he further mulled over the information Nathaniel had given him. Willingly or not, the young man had brought in his involvement. He would help the guy out, if only to further monitor the situation. If there were more deaths like these, it was cause enough for him to worry.
Freaks who skinned people always had a tendency to cause a panic.

"Unfortunately, I think you are correct on aspects so far."
Xaver's expression turned grim.
"Skilled, and dangerous. A common attribute to most serial killers, sure, but this one... Unhinged, was surely the word. I wouldn't think someone who could do this much damage in so quick a time would have had a clean record. Perhaps you can check out the recently released subjects with more than the average ticks on their criminally insane totem?"

[Nathaniel Kingston]

"Mm, that's what the guys at the NHRA are doing right now. In fact, they're having the police look into recently released humans as well, even though the person behind this is obviously a non. They said that they would have the list compiled in the morning, because they are going nationwide with this. There are even rumors that they are going to ask the guys overseas if they've let anyone out or if someone's escaped recently. Point is, that takes time, and they won't give the list to a lowly sleuth like me until morning." Nathaniel glanced at Xaver. "I think it is the waiting that kills me the most. I have to wait for these reports. I'm waiting for this guy to kill again, as bad as that sounds. I know he's going to kill more people before we find him, and the tension is killing me."

"It's crushing my dream. What I want, more than anything, is to be able to look into people's faces and know that they are going to be safe when they go home. With this guy on the loose, I don't know if the woman I look at right now will make it home or if I'm going to see her in the morgue tomorrow. I hate it. I hate people who make me feel like this. Why can't there be peace?" Nathaniel sighed and clasped his hands together.

"Then again, I could go to Lenity if I really want peace. Something seems off about that place though, every time I go there. The Fallen aren't concerned about what's going on underneath them. It's as if they believe what they can't see won't hurt them. Not only that, they don't stop those who will hurt others. Why would you let someone you know will hurt humans come to Earth? It's senseless. To me, it seems that so many lives have been lost because the Fallen in Lenity won't do anything to prevent it. Sure, they can't stop the whole war, but they could at least rein in the Fallen that are causing chaos down here." Nathaniel shook his head and took a deep breath.

He was going off of rumors that he had heard, about the Fallen who had come to Earth to 'put humans in their place,' but as he thought about it, his eyes grew wide again. Those rumors were about one group in particular. A group that Xences Xian headed. And here Nathaniel was, complaining about it to Xences's brother. Oh shit, what had he just gotten himself into? Maybe, just maybe, Xaver hadn't noticed the reference, but that was unlikely. Hopefully, Nathaniel's big mouth hadn't just landed him in hot water.

[Xaver Xian]

Xaver looked sidelong over to Nathaniel with an unreadable expression, his emotions quieted behind the handsome, stony features of his face. His coffee had grown cold in his cup, and he stirred it idly as he watched the man before him. Blue eyes that carried the wrath and somber wisdom of generations on theoretical shoulders.

“Perhaps it wasn’t a decision of allowance.”
There was no anger in his tones. There didn’t have to be.
“The peace of our people, that is my dream. Sometimes it is far more complicated than it may seem on the outside. While Lenity may seem peaceful, it is serene because some have fought their lives’ length to keep it that way, to keep it a place of sanctuary from the turmoil of earth. The naivety of such turmoil, however.. I believe you would find it much more superficial than you would believe.”

For a moment, Xaver almost looked tired.
Complicated, indeed.

“For the brief time being, collateral damage is to be had. I would never say I approve of wrongdoing, especially by those of which you speak..”
Xaver was not an idiot. As Nathaniel’s eyes had widened slightly, he’d known exactly of whom the younger man had been talking about.
“Xences wants war. He is powerful, he is influential, and unless he is stopped, it is not just war with the Humans that will come to head. He threatens our entire existence.. To rid of him just yet, however… Well. Like I said. Far more complicated than it may seem on the outside.”

He smiled slightly, belittling the brother he spoke of with the warmth of his gaze. Erasing the chill that was eroding his soul by tackling it with optimism. He rose and tossed his cup into the near-by trash, starting slowly down the street and pausing only to wait for Nathaniel to catch up.

[Nathaniel Kingston]

Nathaniel noticed the change his words had made in Xaver and immediately regretted saying what he had about Lenity. Well, he hadn't really meant about the people who were fighting for Lenity, he meant the Fallen in it who didn't feel the need to help, but who still enjoyed the peace. Quietly, he said, "I didn't mean to offend you. As an outsider of Lenity, I really can't guess at the internal workings of the city. I can only see the facade presented."

He was also young. He only knew the history about the wars that the Fallen had waged, but he hadn't ever been there. The coming war between the nons and the humans was the first war that really affected him. He was very ignorant in such matters, probably a reason that he tried to stay out of it as much as possible. His upbringing was also a factor. His father never talked about the days he served in the Fallen army.

"Xences... he's really as bad as the rumors chalk him up to be? I only know what the NHRA knows about his doings, but there are so many more rumors of worse things. It's amazing how bad a person can go." Nathaniel looked at Xaver curiously as the man smiled. It was weird, that there was no love between the siblings. No matter how bad things got, Nathaniel didn't think he could love his own brother less, though they weren't as close as they used to be. Then again, he knew his brother would never kill anyone just for the fun of it.

The older Fallen got up, and Nathaniel paused for a moment, wondering if Xaver still wanted to talk to him. When the prince paused, Nathaniel got up quickly and fell in step beside him. He tucked his hands into his jacket pockets and slumped his shoulders a little in a thinking pose. "I just don't get the idea fueled behind this war. How are we better than humans? They have good and bad qualities, but so do we. We're all just people on this tiny planet. There isn't any room to fight over who is better. And those who think that they are better... well, they just aren't."