A Face in the Crowd.

[Sage]

Xavier winked and flung out his wings behind him, which would give her the sensation of falling for the briefest of instants before he grasped her on either side of her waist. Looking down, she would realize that they were now at least twenty feet above the ground, and she had been standing on the thin plates on the tips of his wings since the moment he surrounded them with his wings.

He wondered if her ordeal with the spirit that haunted Xavier had made her forget her hunger, though now that she had calmed down he assumed it would come back to her. He'd already made the plans, and she'd accepted, with no fear of not being able to get in thanks to his mark. So he decided to leave the 'when' up to her, curious to see if she would bring it up again on her own. The last time she had realized she was hungry, it had been almost too cute a display for Xavier to bear, and he dared a repeat performance.

" Anything. The world is your oyster...

" ...or the city at least. "

[Skylar]

The feeling of falling while free, was beyond frightening. She felt more secure as his hands grasped her tightly, that was, until she looked down.

With a loud gasp she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him. Frightened was not even the word for it. But, she was with him, and she knew she was safe. Even with fear still coursing through her veins, knowing she was safe, she’d play on that fear to stay close to him, as close as she pleased.

“I think you were right the first time, I feel like the world is mine right now.” A gentle rush of crimson stole the color in her cheeks and kissed on the bridge of her nose. He would have to be looking closely to see it. She nuzzled his chest softly, playing it off as if she was hiding the blush, she smiled at her real intent.

[Sage]

Xavier delighted in the contact, and carefully encircled her in his own adamant arms as they began to rise. At first, it was slight, and his wings barely moved with the effort. He was already taller than her, but with the way she hung from him, his chin could rest atop her head. Her hair smelled wonderful, faint and floral. His affinity for jet black hair didn't hurt, either. She was delicate, perhaps putting on airs of being outwardly strong for some unknown reason but she was feisty as well.

More importantly, she did seem strong enough to handle his ridiculous lifestyle. Even before his death, Xavier led a very fast-paced, action-packed lifestyle full of strange creatures, interesting places, and mind-obliterating situations.

" So, we agree. Where, in her Highness' domain, would she like to go? "

His ascension escalated, wings working harder now as they began rise. He would go slow enough, so that she could take in the scenery, at least until they cleared the height of the tallest structure in the city, the castle spire in the distance. He exploded upward, slamming into the sky with insane speed. Xavier was strong, amazingly strong, and on land he was fast. But in the air, he coupled both those together and became one of the fastest beings around. He angled toward a cloudbank, attempting a dramatic effect as he began to slow again once they were well above the city.

He allowed them to slowly drift upward through the misty white fluff until they were just above it before stopping. He wondered what it would be like to kiss her, if she would allow it. She did hold on to the battle-hardened exterior, and he sincerely did not want her to turn the attitude she was surely capable of on him. But it was a pleasant thought, in that it was not an impossibility. Another first, another new feeling.

" You sure you're okay with sacrificing your sanity to hang out with me? "

[Skylar]

“Take me wherever, nothing can spoil this for me.” She looked up at him as she spoke, a wide, child-like smile upon her face. This was fascinating. No, it was heaven. If ever there was a perfect moment in her life, this would by far be it.

She was in awe, speechless in fact. A few sudden gasps and tight grasps upon him would be her only response for awhile. She was already in love with this place, something that had never happened before. Most places were good for a few nights, perhaps a week, and then it was time to move on. She never really took the time to take in the sights, get to know anyone, that was never the point of her travels.

But now, here with him, leaving seemed less important. The funny thing was, had he bragged to her about who he was when they first met, she would have walked away without a second thought. That obviously wasn’t his style, perhaps that was part of the draw she had toward him. She only wondered how obvious her attraction toward him was to him.

“If this is insanity..” she laughed quietly, still holding on to him as if her life depended on it. “I’ll gladly trade in whatever I have to keep it.” Another feint blush crept over her face, only this time, she did not look away from him. “This is all so dream like. So beautiful. I wish there was something I could do for you, anything.” She couldn’t think of anything that would amount to all this, she would not deny anything in her power to provide. For the first time in a long time, she felt alive.

[Sage]

Immediately after she offered her statement, a light rain would begin to fall over Toryn. Xavier, who had pulled his face back slightly so that he could see her again, could not help but laugh. He didn't know how she would react to the rain, aside from the knowledge that whatever moment they'd had was ruined. But he wasn't about to let her offer pass, and he dared a kiss before she could protest about being several hundred feet in the air, and in the rain, or being kissed in that situation.

He did not linger, for fear of anger, though he did manage to taste her long enough to quell his curiosity. It was better than he could have imagined, to share something so simple yet so intimate with someone who actually cared whether you were breathing the next day. He drew his wings up and over her, exposing his back but covering her almost completely from the rain. Without them working, however, they began to fall. It was slow, however, much like their initial ascent. It seemed that Xavier did not necessarily need to work his wings to hover in the air, though their position did matter.

It would be up to her on how to react, and Xavier waited in silence, only looking down once to angle their featherfall toward the restaurant, their ultimate destination.

[Skylar]

Rain. It always seemed to wash away the old and bring in the new. Fresh as well as refreshing, it did not ruin any moment, but seemed to welcome a new one.

He did not need to linger, for as he pulled back, her hand reached up and wrapped around the back of his head, pulling him down toward her. She would relish his taste once more if he would allow it, for as long as he allowed it. And now, she was no longer ashamed, nor embarrassed.

She felt the sudden lack of rising, and the feeling of floating. He was an angel, her angel, and even his lifestyle, or lack there of didn’t change that in her mind. Not now, not ever. She still had questions about his “rebirth” so to speak, but he was a saint, a god among men. It was obvious to her now why that was.

She’d long forgotten where they were going, and still she didn’t know what the place was below them. It didn’t matter though, she’d go wherever with him. Anything to prolong this feeling. A feeling she had never known before now.

[Sage]

He eagerly worked back at her lips as she reciprocated his action with her own, much more serious one. He had been playful initially, testing the waters, nervous about her response. But this was different, an entirely different experience altogether. He was able to taste and feel her breathing, her heart in her veins as they shared this experience, which seemed to make them share every other experience with each other simultaneously.

A literal connectivity, at a very base level. It was intoxicating, and he did not break away from her as they continued to drift slowly, not bothering to recheck their course. He used his right arm to pull her up to him, to better reach her. It grasped her now just below the shoulder blades, fingers splayed across the material of her shirt, gently caressing her skin through it. His left hand reached down for her legs, which were now closer to his waist than his knees. He braced her weight so that she could sit on his hand, holding her up just under her buttocks so that her legs could wrap around his waist, an opportunity by which he sincerely hoped she would take advantage.

[Skylar]

In perfect sync it all played out, just as it might in a fairy tale. Her body was almost flaccid in his arms. Her hand which rested on the back of his head, moved to his cheek, with a slight caress from her thumb from time to time, as her other hand came to rest upon his chest.

Lids fell lazily closed as she felt a bit light headed from this experience. As he lifted her, she obliged, wrapping her legs around him, allowing him to take on the burden of her weight, something she was sure wasn’t so much he couldn’t handle. Her hand on his chest eased around his body to his back, so that she could press herself to him.

Lips parted in a serene sigh, only they did not close but captured his bottom lip. She had forgotten where she was, what they were doing, where they were going, and if anyone was even around. It didn’t matter. The pounding of her heart, her increased breathing, the butterflies in her stomach told her this was right, no matter what, when, where or why.

[Sage]

Xavier allowed himself to drift backward, lying horizontally in the air as his wings expanded out to either side of him. He'd forgotten all about the rain now, aside from the fact that it made her skin slippery under his touch, and amplified the pleasant scents that made up her smell. He was vaguely aware that the moon was behind her head now, rather than above it, and he made a slight adjustment to correct their velocity, before moving to her neck. The skin there was different. Taught, but not as rigid as the same area might be on him.

It was not as though he had been in contact with others at all, but usually if he was touching someone, it was to break them...not to caress them. This was different, not a feeling but an experience. Her neck tasted different than her lips, and it was not just the taste and texture that differed. Here, he could easily feel the beating of her heart, easily hear quick breaths as he played across her throat and down one shoulder, pushing the borders the collar of her garment allowed.

He felt a nudge in his back, and was startled by the sound of breaking glass, as well as the sudden absence of the rainfall. He broke his face away from her neck and his eyes darted around. They were on a table, now, surrounded by gawking onlookers. He had managed to hit the highest floor of the restaurant, as well as a rather delicious looking, leafy delicacy shared between two individuals, whose table they occupied. One man in gold and black slacks and vest, as well as a nearby woman in a dress of the identical scheme to the man scowled at them, frozen in place with large metallic trays of food.

However: Every other person, sitting at every table on the floor burst into applause, much to Xavier's embarrassment.

[Skylar]

She went with it, all of it. It seemed so natural. As his lips left her own she nuzzled her face into him, placing soft kisses to where his neck and shoulder met. He was well defined, which suited her just fine. Her smelled of herbs perhaps, earthy, a manly scent. She wondered if it was something he used when he showered or if it was simply his own scent. Either way, she breathed him in deeply.

Leaning her head back, she allowed him to taste the flesh of her neck, throat......shoulder. A quiet groan resonating within her chest. She swore she was dreaming all this. That soon she would wake up in some ally, in some city that would never feel like home to her. That he would be gone, and she would again be alone, living the transient lifestyle she had called hers for so long now.

..........That was, until she heard the glass break...

Her eyes opened widely as she leaned her head into his chest. She hadn’t noticed the rain stopped, nor that they were indoors. It was only when she finally opened her eyes to see others eyes upon them that she looked up, realizing what had happened.

She brought her hand to her mouth at the applause that broke out. Not in shame, but to cover her laughter. Upon a table, on Xavier she glanced down at him, this time, a massive smile and giggled filled words she offered him. “Whoops?” Averting her eyes toward the people who obviously worked there, she held up two fingers. “Two please.”

Moving off Xavier, her feet finally resting on the floor, she looked to the people whose dinner they had ruined. “Yeah, sorry about that.” Entwining her fingers into Xaviers she tugged him away from the table. Usually something like this would be terribly embarrassing, but man.....it felt good to feel free, and enjoy the company she was with. “I’ll follow you now.” Again she giggled, running her tongue across her lips to relish once more in his taste he had left behind on them.

[Sage]

Xavier went to work quickly once he was able to pry his second sword from the couple's table they had landed on, and brushed the greens off his back. He flitted to the nearest waiter and whispered something quickly, sticking closely to his ear, and making sure that he saw the mark on his wrist as he pulled some small metallic objects from his belt and placed them in the man's hand while they were close enough together to make the transaction invisible to any of the patrons, though Frankie might have caught a glance if she watched carefully.

The waiter grumbled at first, but lightened his mood considerably after hefting the metal's weight and number, as well as glancing the symbol of status Xavier wore branded on his forearm. Afterward, the man shuffled off to the couple's table and began spouting a pseudo-sincere apology, promising complimentary this, and special treatment that. The two significantly more elder patrons seemed to take the development in stride, and did not complain as the man moved them to another table.

Xavier then busied himself with taking in his surroundings, whether to get back to their conversations, or strictly for fear of looking directly at Xavier while he was looking back, he did not know, but the eyes of the crowd were no longer on him. The same could not be said for Frankie, though she did not seem to mind the attention, and so he took no action to prevent it. He spotted a table set against one of the corners of the roof, and gestured toward it with a grin before heading toward it himself and pulling out the chair with the view of the cityscape for his dinner guest.

The restaurant itself was beautiful, but this roof floor was amazing. Ivy-entwined lattice sectionals created semi-private nooks for each table, though they were low so that the view could be enjoyed. It was open air, no real walls or roof past the floor below them, but there was an invisible barrier enchanting the building to keep out the wind and rain. As one looked up, they would be able to see the rain falling, and stopping several feet short of contact. It added a nice bit of atmosphere, as it was nice to watch the rain without having to be wet. And finally, after being within it's protective boundary for a short time, it would become clear that the area inside the barrier was magically heated, which Xavier thought was a nice touch, considering she would probably be freezing soon as her clothes, like his, were completely drenched.

Per a silent exchange between Xavier and the staff, a few servers approached their table with soft, dry towels and a pair of menus. A few of them busied themselves with setting the table with sweetbread and a type of ambrosia, mixed with dried fruits, berries, nuts, and seeds; as well as a mystery beverage.

" Welcome to the Eagle's Grasp, Lady Franschescia. We will give you a few moments to contemplate your order. The special tonight is a variation on a Cizokian delicacy, and is flown in fresh. The entertainment will begin shortly. "

The group did their work, and delivered their message, and were gone as suddenly as they came. Xavier would take his seat across from her if she accepted his gesture with the other chair, still reeling from the headrush of their rather unorthodox descent.

[Skylar]

Curiously she watched as Xavier whispered to the man. She narrowed her eyes as she wondered if he was trying to get the server to find them somewhere special, or fix what they had broken. Either way a sweet gesture, and one that made her laugh when she thought about how it must have looked to the patrons when they came crashing down. He must have looked like an angel......

She soon realized that people were staring at her. And while it was slightly uncomfortable, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was because she looked differently then everyone else here, or because she crashed through the roof with one of their Saints....oh well....

His movement caught her attention and she was right behind him, following him to the table. She crawled over the seat like an uneducated girl so that she could gaze out at the scenery. It was breathtaking, as was the restaurant itself.

She couldn’t have blinked if she wanted to. So much to take in and before she knew it there were people swarming the table with berries and fruits and towels and....”Thank you so much.” She tried to thank each and every one of them, but they moved so quickly.

Leaning against the table she began to speak. The excitement in her voice was evident even within her whispers. “I have never in my life experienced anything as lovely as all of this Xavier. I’m not sure what your intentions are, or if this is just the way you do things here. None the less, please allow me to extend my gratitude to you for this night, and know....I’ll never forget it.”

With a quick graceful movement she was on her feet and at his side, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. Her lips were dangerously close to his ear as she again spoke ever so softly. “You’ll never know how much this means to me. Thank you.” As soon as her words ended, she returned to her seat across from him, more then willing to stare at him while she ate.

“I just remembered how hungry I am, and I have no idea what these foods are.” She placed her menu in front of him. “Will you do me the honor?” It was not unheard of for a man to order the womans meal as well, and in this case, she would be grateful.

[Sage]

Intentions.

What were his intentions here? Eventually he would have to go back to killing people, and he couldn't drag her along into that. Insane daily routines and abnormal circumstances were one thing, but her possibly becoming a liability, or being put at risk were exactly why the Metsuke were discouraged against frivolous relationships. It was the fear of having your loved ones become a target that made you push people away.

After the sampling of emotion he'd felt, could he really just walk away when the time came, and hope she was there when he came back? She didn't seem like the type. She had only wandered into the city moments before they met, who was to say she couldn't disappear just as suddenly.

" I don't know what I meant by bothering you earlier today. It's usually not my practice to get...attached. I might ask, however, what are your intentions? Were you planning on staying in the city long? It would...be nice. To see you again when I get back from my last job. "

[Skylar]

“You by no means have been a bother to me.” She smiled across the table at him, popping a large berry in her mouth along with a smaller seed. The sweet pop of the berry between her teeth accompanied by the slight crunch of the seed were wonderful in texture to her palate. But the taste...it was heavenly.

She perked up as he spoke of seeing her again. It has never been her intent to stay in one place long. Not for any particular reasoning, it was just never her style. She stayed until she was bored, and was on her way, be it hours, days, weeks. But now...

“It was not my intent to stay here long....” She tossed her gaze from him, lingering on the beautiful decor of the place. “Least, not when I got here. But now...” Again her words trailed off as she popped another berry into her mouth. She was so outside of her box, breaking her own rules, she wasn’t sure what to make of it all.

“I’d like very much to spend more time with you.” She nodded to her own words, pretending to be calm and collected. She couldn’t help but wonder if he could hear her heart begging to pound from her chest.

[Sage]

" I'll have to go away for a while, to the east coast. Once I finish up a job there, I'll be set for at least a year. " Xavier considered the situation. He knew he couldn't ask her to stay in his home, but he didn't know how offering to set her up in a place to wait for him might sound once vocalized.

The misplaced warrior casually poured some of the liquid from the bottle on the table into two glasses. It smelled sweet, and the color was golden. There was the vague residual scent of alcohol, though not even as strong as wine. It was a beverage made from the roots of several choice plants, brewed with green tea leaves.

" But that's not for at least another few days. I'll be hanging around the town until then. "