Remnants of the Earth
AEDOLIS => Haviah => Topic started by: Draconian on July 29, 2015, 01:12:17 am
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Shit.
Kit pushed her hands through her hair and crouched down beside the bike. Of all the times to not be electrokinetic, now was probably the worst. Sure she could be a human flashlight and kill someone with her mind, but what use were those skills on a bike that just needed a jump? It was dangerous to be here. Kit knew that.
Kit was far too aware of that.
Sometimes the place where they'd dug out the identifying chip still twinged. The addiction to her dragon still hadn't ebbed away and sometimes it had her waking up in pain, covered in sweat. Life was harder now, but it beat being dead. Or broken and thrown into TRIM. A quiet sigh and Kit gave the bike a kick before she shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and made her way to the nearest... What.
Shop?
Did anywhere any service available for favours instead of money?
With the chip gone, she had no identity. Which also meant she had no way of paying for services.
Officially.
Well, fuck.
Maybe the nice mechanic would accept a blow job. Hm. Or the girl version of that if the mechanic wasn't a person with male-bits. Kit frowned at the idea but it wasn't like she had a choice. A sneer and she found herself walking right past a shop. Taking a few steps back, she tossed her braided hair over her shoulder and fluffed her bangs up out of habit. What an odd life she was living now.
Slowly she pushed her sunglasses up onto her forehead and rapped her knuckles at the wall while she walked into the place. "Hello?" Her voice echoed and she looked around, feeling around for anything that might be around. Being a trained Pilot out of the system had it's perks. There were way more cons than pros but... At least it had it's perks.
"My bike broke down a few blocks, I was hoping someone could help me?" She'd mention the inability to pay afterwords. Maybe. Probably not. "I'm kinda in a rush to... Not be here. Any help would be great."
-
The day had been too long and the time to close up shop was finally here. And it couldn’t have been here sooner. Of course, even Trevan knew you couldn’t please everyone. But some clients just weren’t satisfied with the diagnosis that sometimes you couldn’t have your cake and eat it too. Nooooo. They wanted same day service with same day results and wouldn’t even tip on the way out.
In the end, people would say what they wanted to say and pay their bills (provided they had the money) grumbling all the while. It was a thankless job. Especially when there were those that always tried to cut some kind of deal.
Trevan put those thoughts out of mind. It was closing time and the only thing he wanted was to plop down on his bed and go into a deep REM.
Karim, the owner, had left early that night, as always, heading off to Synesthesia for some romp. He was an idiot. Always complained about his numbers, even when they were better than last months, or was on the phone complaining about being broke, and then spending his money on drugs and whores. Trevan inwardly rolled his eyes. At least the bastard paid him, that was all he cared about.
“Just another day on the grind,” he sighed, locking the office door when he heard a knock. His hackles rose and he turned, looking at the woman who spoke. “Shit,” he hissed to himself.
He was just about to say they were closed –because they were – but he stopped himself just before doing so. Trevan approached the stranger and looked around at all the vehicles that had yet to be worked on. But these streets probably weren’t the best place for a stray bike to be hanging around, even if it was broken. It’d be in parts in a manner of minutes.
“I was just about to close up. But, uh, I guess I could squeeze you in.” He gave an awkward huff and clapped his hands together. “Let’s go.” Once outside, the crisp air slapped against his heated face. It felt nice to be out instead of in that shop without circulation. Stupid Karim and his stupid too-cheap-to-buy-air-conditioning attitude.
“Aw, is this it?” he asked, pointing up to the bike up the block.
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Just being here made her nervous.
Kit rubbed her gloved hands together. Plucked at her coat. Looking down at her boots briefly, the floral imprints along the top. Definitely not a biker.
"Yeah, that's her."
Rushing to the bike, she fixed the kickstand and balanced it, pushing it along closer to the man. A little at a loss as to why she didn't just do that in the first place.
"I think it just needs..." Kit stared at it for a moment. It had been a cheap bike. Traded for to. Completely illegal and she looked between it and the man for a moment, "I don't know. But it won't start and I'm not much of a mechanic." Gently she chewed on her lip and pushed her long braids over her shoulder, looking between the stranger and then she took a deep breath.
"I don't have any credits," she said softly, stripping off the glove and displaying the scar on her hand where her chip had been removed, "Is there some way else I can pay? If you can help me, I mean."
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The bike wasn't in the best condition. In fact, Trevan was surprised it was held together at all! The bolts looked rusted to dust, but he supposed it wasn't up to him to judge someone else's ride. If there was something wrong with it, the least he could do was take a look at it.
"Looks like I got my work cut out for me," he said, turning round the other side to push it up the block down the street.
That was until she took off her glove and quietly declared she couldn't pay. Trevan paused. And stared. Just stared at her.
She couldn't pay. And she was in a bit of a bind it seemed. Karim didn't like it when clients didn't pay up front. People couldn't be trusted. Not to mention he would be pissed if he found out that Trev worked and was gonna get paid in cases of water bottles and she didn't look like she had anything, let alone water bottles.
He looked at the shop. "Well, let's see the damage first. And we'll talk about it from there, okay? Sound good?" He smiled and followed in after her, pushing the bike in and closing the garage door.
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Kit frowned deeply.
"No..." Giving a shake of her head, "I can't... Just let you work on it." Her fingers fluffed at her hair and she rubbed at her arm. Glad on a few levels that she'd never been one of the more well known Pilots. Had never been a face for the system.
"I can work with computers. I..." Kit gently chewed on her lip, looking a little torn, a little frustrated, "I can.. Do you need a body guard? Some... Security? I can do that for a bit. I'd... Rather discuss my inability to pay you now instead of... If you can fix the bike." Kit looked around, worst case scenario she just left the bike here.
She didn't mention the few guns she had on herself under the coat. Gently she reached forward, a gentle tendril, just to taste his thoughts but before she got there she recoiled. This wasn't another Pilot. This was just a person. A person who probably didn't want her bustling around in his head.
Convincing him was a different thing entirely than making him do it.
"I just need to make it move again, just for a little bit." Just to run a little bit farther.
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Something was off about this broad. She was in an awful hurry wasn't she? Trevan just grinned a bit.
"I didn't say I was doing it for free. What's up with you? Got ants crawling up your pants? If its a big problem, I'm afraid fixing itmight take longer than you like. Just at least let me look at it."
He observed her hands again, considering asking about the scar. And quickly deciding maybe it was best he didn't know.
First he tried to start the hunk of metal and there was a sad deflated hiss when he did so.
Trev took the bike into the lift, pulling it up onto the table and strapping it into place. "Hrmm. It's pretty filthy down here. Gotta clean it up first. Hand me that rag would ya?" And he pulled the gloves from his belt, strapping them on his hands.
"Bad time of night to get stranded. What are doing in a neighborhood like this? This ain't no posh place, I'll tell ya. Then again, it isn't Synesthesia."
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"Trying to get to the other side," Kit said softly, looking outside quickly.
It would be so easy to find her if anyone was around. If someone who knew was around. The heavy mental barriers to keep everything out were drawing at her and she found herself not in the best of moods.
The scar wasn't fresh, but it throbbed and ached with every memory of the life that was in that little chip. "I traded for the bike a few weeks ago, it's mostly done it's job but..." Giving a shrug she passed him a rag without question, used to being demanded and used to following those demands without question.
"I just.... I meant I'd rather know what I was going to do for you before you help me. That way I won't be bent over a desk with my pants at my ankles out of obligation instead of I think you're cute and we're both horny." Her arms were folding over her chest and her expression was mostly unamused.
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"Oh sex? Now there's something you usually hear every day," Trevan said with a grunt, pulling on a rusty bolt. "No. No, I can't accept sex. I don't think I would from a total stranger. Most guys would probably jump at the chance. I guess that makes me a pariah," he said with a laugh.
"From the sound of it, you've run real low on oil and the battery probably needs to be replaced. Which will be an overnight job unfortunately. I can fix the oil now and change out the battery, but it'll take several hours to charge unfortunately."
Inspecting her, he tilted his head and pursed his lips. "You're really intent on paying for this aren't you?"
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"I wasn't offering, it was a hypothetical situation." Kit sighed and moved to stand beside him, frowning at the vehicle.
"Great. Sounds great. Of course I'm intent on paying." She finally stared at him for a moment, frowning, pushing her hands into her pockets, "You're not working for free and even if I can't pay you with money I can... I can do something in return." There was a moment and she looked around, giving her lips a lick.
If this place wasn't in such a dive neighborhood she would have considered her next choice of words more carefully. "I'm off the grid, the dragon's can't trace me. I can do just about anything for you."
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Her next words should have been considered more carefully.
Trevan stared at her again - this was really starting to become a bad habit.
Suddenly he laughed, chuckling. Surely it was some kind've sick joke. He wasn't going to fall for that off-the-grid stuff. And if she was, why would she go around blurting stuff like that. Gods, what a night.
"Yeah, right. And I've got my boxer-briefs all tangled up," he said with a huff. "Look, if you want to make it even... Uh,lets get drinks. Yeah, yeah, you have no money. Fine. But you seriously look like you've had a bad night. And it'll only get worse still. We'll talk about proper payment then."
Though he was laughing, he was thinking about her words in the back of his mind. Off the grid, dragon untraceable... What if she wasn't lying? And if she wasn't, did he really want to hang around her longer than necessary? The last thing he needed was the scrutiny of Pilots.
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It took a good deal of effort not to push her fingers into her hair and pull at it.
Short of shouting that she was a wanted criminal and was off the grid with the help of a nameless few and a scar on her hand Kit just smiled and nodded. "Well, thanks for letting me know what kind of underwear you... uh... Wear. That'll be helpful later." It wouldn't but what else was she supposed to do? Short of making him believe her.
Which she could do.
"That's ... I can't buy you drinks. I have no money. I have no bank account. I have ... I have nothing. What part of I don't have anything don't you understand," She waved her scarred hand at his face, " I don't exist. I need this fixed so..." Kit did push her hands through her hair and she shifted her weight before resting them on her hips.
"Alright. Fine. If that's what it takes. Drinks. Drinks all around." Her hands went up and she quickly glanced around, "Will we be... Going out?" she asked softly, plucking the hood from underneath her coat, ready to pull it up and over her head. While she wasn't one of the well known Pilots, having always chosen to stay out of the limelight, it didn't mean no one knew who she was.
Even if they weren't leaving yet.
Licking her lips, "Do you keep up with many Pilots?"
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Trevan sat down, ready to set himself before the task he'd just described to her. It wasn't an easy fix, but the time it would take to fix was the real issue here. If she couldn't pay with anything that was of any real value, Karim would have his neck. Unless....unless, he didn't know about it. Maybe it'd be better to say she never came by.
Especially if she was as crazy as she was acting. Really, it wasn't that big a deal to him that she couldn't pay. Karim would still have to give him credits for the work he did do, so it didn't matter in the end. At least not to Trevan.
Only big bankers and stoneheads cared about what loose change filtered around in unpaid debt.
He looked up at this 'Kit' and paused, his hands working freely as if from memory.
"Hrm...not all that much. But it's kind've hard to avoid news around here in Haviah. Everywhere it's blasted with news on the latest pop star and their crappy songs or what new DJ is going to appear in what club. Or how General such-and-such is going to clean up the garbage in this filthy smelly city." Trevan laughed, although the concern in her tone was off-putting to say the least.
"Why?" came his slow reply. He glanced back at her. "You...you're...a pilot then? Or...used to be, I take it? Just...a guess."
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"Uuuuh..."
Kit swallowed thickly and tried to relax. If anything it made her look worse. Tense. Shoulders up. Hood now also up. Giving a cough to clear her throat she quickly looked away.
"Do I look like a pilot? Or a used to be pilot?" Another 'ahem' to clear her throat, "Don't you think I'd have just... Mind controlled you to fix my shit? Besides that, pilots are... uh. Big and strong and... Clean." She reached out an arm to look at her dirty clothing and didn't even want to know how greasy her hair probably looked.
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Trevan smirked at her. No, she didn't look like a Pilot.
"No. But you look like someone that could use a drink, really bad." His smile grew, and he went back to work. "But it does explain the whole get up, and the hand...and the having no money bit. And the tension, posture, and high-strung look on your face." He stopped right there, realizing he'd been ticking off that list with that grease-covered screw-driver in his hands.
Trevan carefully unhooked the clips that held the bike's battery in place, and slowly removed the block from the engine core. He moved over to a work bench where he installed a new battery into the charger. He moved about changing the oil in the bike, dripping out the grungy old stuff, and dripping some new oil into the cannister.
"You traded for this hunk of junk right?" he asked, gesturing to the bike. "What did you give for it, if I may ask?"
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While she could use a drink really bad, Kit watched him, hesitantly. The smile on his face was the exact opposite of her expression. Self-consciously she tugged the hood forward more with everything he listed off, hunching her shoulders forward more and more. Was she that obvious? Probably. Kit had never had to deal with hardship in her life - At least not the physical tangible kind - it wouldn't surprise her if she screamed... Exactly what it was she did.
Keeping her hands jammed in her pocket she watched him work curiously. Trying to commit the process to memory because she knew she'd have to probably try and do it herself one day. Maybe.
His question caught her off guard and she opened her mouth, "Uh..." Was the only thing that came to mind. What did she trade for it? Kit stared at the bike, frowning before she simply shrugged, "I don't remember. A really bad blow job? Does it matter? Either way, I walked away with the better side of the deal."
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Trevan made a face. She really didn't seem like the hooking type.
"I dunno," Trevan said, unknowingly wiping grease onto his cheek and brow as he wiped the sweat from it. "I'm only curious. I mean...how do you not remember what you traded for this thing. Because I don't know if you're really the one that got away with the better deal. Never you mind, you'll have it fixed up in no time."
Trevan dusted off his hands and washed them off in the sink, cleaning his face too. "Okay, Kit. The battery's gonna need to stay charging, then we can shove it in that rusted pile. Let's go get those drinks. Don't worry, you can keep your hood up."
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Kit smiled slightly at his disbelief.
It was nice.
"I modified a scanner so a man could find rats in his walls. This piece of shit was hanging outside his house and I asked for it. He even said it was a piece of shit." Kit sighed and shrugged and looked at the bike, "do you think that thing is worth a bad blow job? It's at the very least a decent blowjob." A slight smirk, having some sick enjoyment out of figuring out the worth of a shitty bike in blowjobs.
Green eyes quickly flicked to the man when he said her name. It was strange to here and she fixed her hood and nodded. "Wouldn't want to offend anyone," she said softly, pulling her hands out of her pockets and moving closer to him.
"Thanks, by the way," Giving him a straight face, Kit tilted her head slightly, poking more of it from the hood, "You sure you don't want a shitty blow job?"
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Trevan put on his jacket and zipped it up to his chest, popping the collar and pulling out his backpack from the main office. He shook his head, shrugging. "I don't think it's even worth licking the tip," he said, snickering. So weird to be talking about bikes and blowjobs. This Kit certainly was a weird one.
"I know a good dive around here. Nobody cares what you look like or where you're from, so you're golden," he explained, gesturing her to follow him and started to close the door to the garage. "Let's go, get some good seats while the gettin's good!"
-
Obediently she followed him.
It was always easier to just follow. Orders could be followed and weren't choices. Which she was good with. Kit licked her lips and hovered behind him, looking around curiously while he started to close up. Or something.
"Isn't everywhere around here a dive?" She asked curiously, looking around. While she'd been a Pilot and had a few missions down below the upper level, she'd never been around here for an extended period of time. So far she hadn't been too impressed by the state of things.
It was how it was run though. Keep the lower levels uneducated and entertained and they'd be too stupid to rebel and revolt. It made Kit feel sick to think she'd been part of that. She'd help let that happen. "You're right. I could use a drink." Kit winced before she started to follow him, having been too concerned with her situation to remember if she'd gotten his name or not.
"Uuuh... Did I get your name? You know mine - Kinda - and... I feel bad because I was too busy being a freak to remember yours."
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She was right of that. These lower sections of Haviah were all a dive. Nobody lived in these parts because they wanted to. People looked up to those high rise buildings, wondering at the life that thrummed through it. Trevan knew what life did, and maybe parted him wanted a piece of that pie too. Everybody did. Didn't they?
He might've had it too, but life rarely ever goes the way you plan it, does it? He could count his fortune where he found it. He was alive, in generally good health, and had a decent place to live.
"Trevan," he said, holding out his hand for her to shake. "Trev is fine too. Whichever one you prefer."
[I don't think she gave him her name either. Whoops on my part! D:]
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"Trevan," Kit replied, gently chewing on her lip before she took his hand. While she didn't look exceedingly powerful, her handshake gave way to her physique. A poweful handshake, however unintentional it was.
"I'm Christopher." Kit paused for a moment, "Kit, if you will. The long name is a bit of a mouthful." Maybe part of her wanted him to know who she was. A mechanic in the lower levels of Haviah knowing who she was was... Hardly going to raise alarm bells. He'd already helped her with her bike.
If he looked like he was going to sell her out she could always... Mess around in his head. Green eyes looked at his face, examined his eyes for a moment while she thought. It wouldn't be too hard to look up a female Pilot with the name Christopher.
"So. What do you drink? Can't say I'm much of a drinker, maybe... Maybe had beer once."
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He grunted in pain at her grip. Boy was she strong! But then again she was a crazy ex-Pilot with no identification and her name was Christopher. Trevan flexed his hand and smiled at her nevertheless.
"Pleased to meet you, Kit. Definitely a unique name. I like it," he chuckled and started down the avenue. "I think we can start with beers. I like a cold one myself. Hard liquor only when I've had a really bad day."
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Hard liquor only on a bad day.
Kit grimaced, looking away for a moment before she tried to smile. "And today? Did I make it terrible?" Her voice was soft when she asked. Kit wasn't completely without shame. Still felt awful she couldn't pay. While they walked she kept her shoulders hunched forward, head down.
"So. Trevan. Do you enjoy doing mechanic... Stuff?"
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"I've had worse days," Trevan said, smiling at her and sobering. The dive wasn't far, just a few blocks up the street, and around the corner. Trevan hated walking around this late at night, but he could deal with it for now. He wasn't alone, even if she was a little crazy.
"Oh, yeah, sure! I like to work with my hands, take stuff apart and see what makes it work. I'm good at it and it pays pretty well," he said. "What about you? What...what do you do? I mean...I guess nothing. You're broke as a joke. What did you want to do, as a kid I mean? Oh, I'm not trying to get your life story, just making conversation."
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"I wanted to work on computers," Kit said, smiling, looking down at her own hands, "I do. Sort of. I can reprogram like it's nobodies business. Fix electronics." Shoving her hands back into her pockets she sighed and continued walking. Such a bright future torn down by such a silly thing.
"Mechanics are beyond me though I'm good with... Pretend devices. Not so much actual phyiscal things. Like bikes." Kit looked up ahead, a neon light giving way to the dive bar. Yup. Definitely a dive. Plucking her hood a bit more to hide her face she stuck close to her new friend and remained behind him while they entered.
"So. I'm broke as a joke." She returned his saying, finding it entertaining on a few levels, "What's cheap and full of alcohol?"
-
She was interesting, to say the least. Trevan rarely welcomed company, especially when he wanted to get a drink. Most people were terrible drunks, obnoxious, annoying, and always trying to start something with someone else. Trevan was probably a loner by choice. But he suppose he'd just gotten used to it.
She wasn't so bad. She didn't seem to want to get too familiar with anybody.
When they got to the bar, Trevan laughed. "Oh, let's look around. At least they've got some real music playing. Probably some whiskey then. Beer gives you gas I know," he laughed. The music was loud but nobody paid them any heed going in. There were free seats at the bar. He took a seat, giving an exhausted sigh. "Take a load off."
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Kit slid into the seat beside his easily, shoulders tense, alert. Listening carefully. With all her senses. The quiet nudges. Mostly she was waiting for another psychic to find her, but she didn't need to look over her shoulder for that. Looking at her body alone would have people knowing she was a pilot, the plugs, the metal bits left over from connecting to her dragon.
The one at her neck was itchy and she reached to her neck to rub at it while she watched Trevan for a moment.
"Thank you," Kit said softly, pulling her hand away.
Leaning in slightly she carefully took in his features. Trying to remember if she'd ever seen his picture going through files. He was hardly just a do-gooder, they were so rare down here.
"Whiskey. I've never had whiskey," Kit smiled, "Some wine. A beer. I was never a big drinker. Except coffee. And water." The smile faded away and was replaced with something more quiet, a far away look in her eyes before she was sucked back into reality. "Was always too busy to do more than... Drink coffee."
Licking her lips she leaned in slightly, voice as low as she could make it while still being heard.
"How long was it? For the battery to charge? I can't... I can't be in one place too long." The port was getting itchy and that was never a good sign, not around other people. Not if she didn't want to cause a scene.
-
Trevan could tell she was getting tense. There was an anxiety in her demeanor. He knew that feeling. And for some reason he didn't feel threatened by it, not by her in the sense that he felt the need to bolt at the first itch of trouble. He wasn't interested in starting fights. Not tonight anyway.
"Wine sounds good. I haven't had that in a while. And frankly heavy drinking is overrated," he said, smirking just a bit, until she posed her question. He leaned in. The answer was unfortunate. "A few hours at best. Look, we can get the wine to go. You can crash at my place at least until the bike is ready. No worries. Just don't rob or murder me."
He tried to give a playful grin, but he was absolutely serious on those last two point. "Just drink for a while. Then we go, deal?" He gestured for the bartender for some wine, and two chilled glasses were served. It wasn't that kind of bar, but at least the drinks were cold.
-
Kit let out a surprised laugh, blinking at him widely before giving a disbelieving shake of her head. What an odd person. There were worse people to find, she knew, but this guy... It was making her suspicious but she smiled all the same.
"I can't exactly keep a low profile if I leave robbery and murder in my wake," Kit said softly, examining his playful grin. The wine was a bigger surprise and she gave a confused look to her... New acquaintance. Licking her lips she took the glass of wine, brought it to her face. Carefully she kept the sleeve held over her palm by her pinky finger and her ring finger and took a sip of the wine.
While she wasn't exactly fancy now, everything about Kit spoke upper class. Her posture, the way she held her glass. Quickly enough though, her posture was consciously changed, drawn in, her head was back down and the glass was back on the bar, a mouthful missing.
"You know... Can't say I expected to enjoy that," She looked to the wine glass and then back to Trevan, "But I really did. Um..." Gently she bit her lip, looking hesitant. Already she was taking so much, "Are you serious? About crashing at your place? I was just going to... I dunno. Hide in an alley by the shop and wait for it to be done, you don't need to ... Help me out so much. I could get you into some serious trouble if you got caught."
Because it wouldn't be regular police or military after her.
It would be the people that were just as trained and lethal as she was.
-
He wasn't trying to trick her with generosity in order to sell her off to some higher paying government bureaucrat that was out for blood. Trevan just laughed, eyeing her take her not-quite-sip-not-quite-chug sample of the wine. It was definitely a deep taste. He drank his own, just a few tastes, savoring it.
Wine wasn't a favorite of his, but he liked it so far. He just didn't want his head swimming so much he couldn't make it home.
"It won't be any trouble. And trust me, you really don't want to be sleeping in any alleys around here. You thought this place was a dive. Don't care who you are. But it's just a bad idea!" He snorted just enough and took another sip of the wine. Oh he was getting used to it now. "I have a couch. It's clean. It's fine, really. You're really not to the mooching type are you? I appreciate that."
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"I've never considered myself the mooching type," Kit said softly, taking another sip of wine. A very out of place drink for a bar like this. Another glance around and she cast Trevan another gentle look. Again, all she wanted to say was thank you. Thank you for the help. Thank you for the wine. The words wouldn't come though and instead she just nodded and smiled.
"I guess I am right now though, so..." Kit nodded her head towards him, "I... I'll accept the offer." Gently she chewed on her lip and took another sip of her drink after going quiet. It wasn't long until she went to lift her glass and found it empty, a surprised little laugh and she tipped her head back slightly, her hood falling.
Quickly enough she grabbed the tip and pulled it forward.
There were familiar tingles up her spine and Kit shivered before wincing ever so slightly, moving a hand to her head, pinching the bridge of her nose before carefully lowered her hand. "I'm ready when you are, Trev," Kit said with a mock cheery tone. A decent sleep would do her wonders. Maybe even a shower.
-
One glass was good enough for him. But because the bartender already bothered to open the bottle in the first place, Trevan paid for it and took it with him, as he nodded to Kit. "Let's get out of here, chump," he said, grinning a little bit too much and patting Kit's shoulder. Still that tension was there, even after a glass. Maybe it was a good thing he'd brought the bottle afterward.
He moved them out the back, slipping across the alley, and back into the street, looking around before crossing and heading back in the direction of the shop. He didn't live in the shops upper apartments, but about a block or so from it.
The night air was cool. "I hadn't realized how flush that wine made my face. I'm not red-faced am I?" he asked, opening his face for examination. He smirked and came up to the building. Trevan went around to the rear again, where the door was generally opened by the utility keycode that the manager had let him know only because he kept him supplied with his favorite bottle of gin once a week.
He went in, holding it open for Kit and securing the door once he was through. "Fourth floor. I hope you're not afraid of heights." The steps upward went easy, even after a drink, and when he opened the door, he gave an half-embarrassed sigh. "Home sweet home."
-
Why was he getting the whole bottle?
Kit frowned at him slightly, tilting her head, watching. Examining. Tucking the information away for later use if need be. If she was anything it was observant. Meticulous. Except when it came to trading for shitty bikes, apparently. There were worse places to be though. The pat at her shoulder had her tense but she smiled all the same.
Touching had always been a problem for Kit. While she was a Candidate the world hadn't been kind and while it didn't break her, it left her cracked and scarred. Silently she followed Trevan, giving him a shake of her head 'no' when he asked if he was red faced. It was one glass of wine.
"You're acting like you've never had alcohol before," She said, teasing slightly.
"Home sweet home," She repeated, looking around. It definitely belonged to a man. Though it wasn't as bare as her own home had been in the citadel, it was far more lived in. More... Homey.
"Your home is lovely," Kit said, giving him a polite smile before it melted into a wince, squeezing her eyes shut and balling her hands into fists. A careful breath was let out and she took another deep one, trying to calm herself.
"Do you have a shower I can borrow? I don't have any clean clothes but... I'd probably smell a lot less... Bad if I got to wash." Embarrassed, her cheeks were warmed up and she stared down at the ground. Being homeless didn't agree with her but so far she just needed to get out. Find a way out. Out of Aedolis. Baby steps.
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Baby steps indeed.
"Uh, sure. Really, first time anyone's ever asked to use my shower that wasn't a total dickwad," he said and pointed down the hall. "Second door on the right, just wait a few minutes for the hot water to turn on. I ugh... Yeah, you're pretty filth."
He crossed arms over his chest, observing her, having set the bottle off to the side. "Did you need to borrow some clothes? You don't look too small."
-
Kit couldn't help the quiet surprised laugh that burst out of her.
"A total dickwad? I try to avoid it." Though she chewed on her lip and pushed her hood back when he confirmed that she was indeed, quite Not clean. The heat was back in her cheeks and she stared down at herself, plucking at her clothing before her head snapped up to look at him.
"I... Yes please." For the first time since meeting she actually took in the strange helpful man, "I... I'll leave the door unlocked, so... No rush." Another small smile and a nod and she shoved her hands back into her pockets and quickly enough was in the room, second door on the right.
It was like a little piece of heaven and Kit looked into the mirror and wanted to cry.
The dark smudges under her eyes, her hair had grown out. It was like looking at a stranger. Soon enough she'd stripped off her clothing, gently drawing her fingers over the metal ports embedded into her skin before she went to the shower. Before long the water was warm and she stepped into it.
Perhaps the groan was a little loud but she didn't care. It was so nice. Though she didn't want to be rude and soon enough after she decided she was clean enough, or at least all the dirt was washed away and she turned off the shower.
"Can I come out yet?" Kit called, curious if he'd brought the clothing in -or something as simple as a towel, really. While she'd never been ashamed of her body, the ports that lined her spine were a little hard to cover up. While he'd guessed almost right away of what she was, it was another to confirm it.
-
Something she didn't fight him on, wonderful. Trevan, truth be told, wasn't too keen on giving away his clothes, but he figured he had a few he didn't need. Most of the clothes he needed were already stained with grease, creased to no rescue, or ripped beyond recognition.
He scoured his closet until he found something more suitable. A tank and some jeans, and...well he wasn't sure about the underwear, but she probably needed something that was clean, so he threw in a pair of those too. He slipped them into the bathroom right when she was done.
He flushed a little. "Uh, yeah! Uh, the clothes are there. Towels are in the cabinet!" And promptly shut the door.
"Damn, I need a sandwich."
-
Poking her head out to make sure the coast was indeed clear, she stretched, feeling... Surprisingly better. A small smile was cast towards the clothing and she helped herself to a towel for her hair once she'd gotten most of the moisture off her body. Quickly enough the clothing was tugged on and she looked at her left arm.
What a terrible idea.
The tattoo was a terrible idea. Then again, how was she to know that one day she'd be on the run? Flexing her hand and glaring at the little metal bit on the inside of her right elbow, Kit carefully threw the towel over that arm to hide it and exited the bathroom. Still hesitant. Her own clothing was held under her other arm and she looked down at herself for a moment before pushing her hair away from her face.
"I don't... I don't think you'll ever understand how much I appreciate you letting me use your shower." She stated, deadpan, completely serious. The tattoo ran down the length of her arm, simple enough lines, though it peaked out from under the tank top, stopping on top of her left breast.
This was only for tonight. Then she'd have her bike and be gone. Give him his pants and underwear and tank top back. Holding said pants up while she walked, another small smile was given to Trevan. The tension had eased out of her somewhat, her posture was more relaxed.
"Are you this giving with all the homeless bums you meet?" She teased softly, forgetting about the port at her elbow and placing the towel down on the back of a chair, not too sure where he wanted her to put it.
-
"You look smashing!" He said, holding his hands together like a picture frame. Oh, enough of acting like a moron. He cleared his throat and approached only when he saw the wet towel. "I'll take that." He took it and took it to the laundry room, tossing it into the washer.
"That giving? Um...." He gave a nervous laugh. "Only the ones that bring in rat bikes. Look you hungry? I was making a sandwich you want one?"
Of course he saw the odd port on her elbow, but said nothing of it... She didn't seem to want to talk about it, and chances were she wouldn't want to give answers if he did ask.
"So what do ex-Pilots eat anyway? Salami and ham? Because...that's all I have."
-
Smashing?
Sure he was just being friendly but Kit ducked her head and wrapped her arms around her middle anyway. It was easy to forget that people could still look at her. Now it was different. There was no uniform or title to hide behind. "Uh... Thanks," she finally side when he put his finger picture frame down.
A small smile was shot at Trevan when he commented on her rat bike and again she went pale at the mention of being a Pilot.
"If I keep denying it you'll keep believing i'm one anyway, huh," Kit finally said, moving closer, "most of us live off of coffee and sandwiches," she said with a small as smile, "why aren't you afraid of me if you know what I am? I can quite literally kill people with my mind."
-
Trevan went about finishing the sandwiches. Meager meals, but he wasn't all that hungry anyway. Although he was certain to wager that she was. "Coffee and sandwiches. Two of the things I got. And coming right up." His hands worked quickly and putting away the condiments and bread and he moved to the coffee maker.
It wasn't gourmet coffee, but it was fresh and didn't have little black things floating in it. "Cream, sugar? Black?" he asked.
Setting a plate before her, he fixed his own coffee. "I'm aware. But I guess...you don't seem...like you want any trouble. And neither do I. Should I be though...?"
-
Kit just watched.
"Black, please. " With no pockets to shove her hands into she kept arms wrapped around her middle, looking around anxiously, waiting for something to pop out of from behind a door and eat her. Kit missed being able to relax. It hadn't been a long time since her dragon got her out of immediate trouble, but it was always lingering at the back of her mind.
Just needed to get out.
"I really don't," Kit gave a humourless laugh, pushing her hand through her hair and staring at the plate he'd put down in front of her. It was just a sandwich, sure, but it was so freely given and she had to swallow back tears at her situation. What a life she led now. After swallowing back her feelings - it was easier to be stoic and not feel - she looked up at him and offered him another kind smile. Her hand awkwardly followed the tattoo long her arm while she tried to think of the right words.
"I'm probably the safest Not Pilot you'll ever meet, uhm... Tonight. While you sleep. If you wake up and hear any strange noises... It's just me. Okay?" her hand went to the metal bit at her elbow before she sighed, reached for the sandwich and took a small bite.
-
Her black coffee followed her sandwich and he set them both on the counter. There were stools to sit down. He made enough credits to not live in complete squalor, and that was always nice. Trevan sat down and invited her to do the same, taking a bite of his sandwich and tried not to make it so obvious he was enjoying it.
He made a face, blinking at her. "Strange noises?" He raised a brow, and a teasing smile graced his lips. "Do you bay at the moon in the dark of night? Or...you just get antsy when it's dark?"
-
Kit sat at one of the stools, placing her old clothing on her lap and taking a deep drink of coffee to wash down the bite of sandwich. A brief glance out the window and she just kind of smiled at him.
"I'd need to see the moon to howl at it," was her reply before she looked away and rubbed at the back of her head again. Fingers drifting over the bit of metal there.
"A side effect of having a dragon is you can get addicted to it. Mine was an older model," She motioned to the metal bit in her arm and the scar of where one used to be in the other. "I'm addicted to the connection with my dragon and... Sometimes it rears it's ugly head..." Another sip of coffee and a small bite of her sandwich, "I'm just... Giving you a warning. I think it might happen tonight, the ones on my back are all tingly. Most you'd get to help me with is... Watch me glow." A small smirk and a shrug, "I'll try to be quiet."
-
"So what kind of a ruckus are we talking here?" he asked, leaning on the counter and looking at the fusion points on her body, at least the ones he could see anyway.
Those metal bits now were a focus of conversation, she brought it up. "Like screaming? Tearing up my apartment? I've dealt with addicts before. Although I imagine none of the level of your kind. But when the cravings hit, they hit you like a ton of bricks, yeah?"
-
Kit looked at him, full of guilt.
How could she even explain it?
"It just... Hurts," Kit shrugged, "Generally I curl up in a ball and try not to cry. Any lights you have on may go weird but... Just... It hurts." Green eyes flicked to the door and she looked down at her sweater, fingers trailing over the fabric before she began to chew on her lower lip.
"There won't be screaming and I won't tear up your apartment. I may not officially be a Pilot anymore but all that training still counts. Candidates who break from pain and cater to their impulses don't get very far." Kit nervously ate her sandwich, giving Trevan little glances between bites and sips of coffee. Maybe trying to warn him had been a bad idea.
"The coffee is wonderful," She murmured, giving him a genuine smile, "Thank you. Again."
-
It was a lot to take in, admittedly.
Trevan stared at her again, as he had done before. Sure this was probably a bad idea. She'd warned him at first, was eager to be on her way, and he'd insisted on having her come along to begin with. But he understood, and only nodded at her warning.
His plate was just about clean and he finished his coffee and tossed it into the sink. "It's all right, Kit Christopher," he said, exaggerating on her name. "We all have...things, I guess, that make us tick and mull over old stuff. I'll just stay out of your way if it happens."
Trevan left for a moment to pull out a pillow from his own bed and an spare blanket and went over to the sofa, throwing them over the cushions and tucking them in to make a cover and having a part of it wrapped over the top. He plopped the pillow down. "It's...it's no trouble really. I don't have company all the time, but the place is clean, no bugs. And make yourself comfortable. You know where the facilities are."
He smiled and almost saluted, but stopped himself in time. He remembered he still had some things in his work room, his saw sword that needed tending too, and perhaps it was best to tuck it away in case she wandered a little.
-
It was a good thing she warned him, Kit decided, the tingling was getting worse and before long she knew it would be a throbbing pain. At least it only ever lasted a few hours. A silver lining to a terrible gloomy cloud. There was little for her to do but stand back while Trevan made the make-shift bed on the couch and Kit said nothing, just held her hands in front of herself. The clean plate and cup were placed with his in the sink.
With little ceremony, Kit smiled down at the couch - it was a far better sleeping place than leaning against her bike - and promptly removed the jeans. The tattoo on her left arm had a cousin going from her hip down to her ankle and she stood there in Trevan's tank top and a spare pair of boxers, holding his pants and looking at the couch. It sucked that this was probably the best day she'd had in a long time.
"Zyanensé." Kit supplied, looking away. She supposed if she was going to get caught, it might as well because this nice person turned her in. "Christopher Zyanensé. Pilot Echo. Wanted on one count of defection and suspicion of being a Gospel." Would they send her to TRIM, she wondered or just execute her on the spot? Make an example of her.
"If I do anything you don't like... Feel free to turn me in." Then she made way to the couch, intending to get at least a little sleep before the pain set in.
-
Whoa.
Yes, he was staring. And he was hard pressed not to make it so obvious, but it was obviously obvious. He was staring. Because her body was pretty damn fit, and the tattoos weren't bad to look at either. All those plugs were so odd.
He couldn't his curiosity. He wanted to touch one, examine it and see what kind of plug exactly went in them.
"I won't turn you in," he said, nodding slowly.... He had his own reasons to avoid the law. "You have a good night. I'll check on your bike in a few hours." He smiled and folded the jeans beside her. Taking the excess of the blanket and throwing it over her, Trevan sat beside her for a moment.
"Gospel? ...I don't think I've ever heard of that."
-
A surprised noise, almost a laugh when he threw the blanket over her. Though quickly enough she sat up and looked at him, examining his features.
"Gospels. They're Pilots who..." Kit pulled a face, while she'd been aware that something was going on, she'd never had direct contact with a Gospel. Had never been concerned about them until her dragon woke her frantically, telling her to get out, get her chip removed. Now.
Pressing a hand to her chest before gave a shrug, "They're anti-dragon. Terrorists. If they can fuck up a mission without getting caught they will. They're strong though. Strong enough to not get caught. Which is why they make an example of the ones they do catch." Kit drew her knees up, wrapping her arms around them, "I'm not a Gospel. I just... I just wanted to make the best of the life I had."
A sad smile was shot to Trevan and Kit closed her eyes before she sighed and eyed him and smiled slightly.
"Did you want to touch one? You've been staring at them."
-
Whoa. Anti-dragon. Which pretty much meant anti-government right? It was a lot to wrap his head around. Most of his life had been the focus of just trying to get by, to survive long enough and keep his head low. This was a whole other league altogether.
"Huh!?" Oh right, he'd been staring. And the fact that she offered was a little concerning, but it was better than trying to make it look like an accident. That was always weird. He reached forward and glanced along the one on her elbow.
"I hear Pilots can't live without their dragons. Is that true?"
-
Kit extended her right arm, pressing her finger to the little metal bit at the inside of her elbow. Her thumb brushed over it and she frowned at it for a moment.
"I sure hope they can," was her reply before she gave a shrug, "Honestly I don't know. I guess I'll find out. So far it's just a lot of pain. And... Y'know. Shitty life." Kit said, lowered her head and holding out her arm for Trevan to examine - if he wanted to.
"I'm lucky to be in this situation." Even more lucky to have met someone so... Oddly out of place in Haviah.
-
"Maybe," was all he could say before he his fingers glided on the small metal circle. He didn't want to be any nosier than he had to. And perhaps now was a good time for both of them to get some shut eye.
Or at least one of them anyway. "That's intense," he breathed, getting up and moving toward his bedroom.
"You ought to get some rest then. See ya in the morning," he said, nodding and waving.
-
Kit never noticed how weird it felt for other people to touch them. The feeling had her want to snap her arm away but she let him examine it. He was curious and a mechanic. Maybe it'd be interesting for him on some weird level.
A small nod and Kit laid down, resting her head on the pillow and pulling the blanket up over herself. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, exhausted as she was.
-
Sleep didn't come easy to Trev. He tossed and turned, and threw the blankets off him when the room got too hot. He needed to get out... He went to his window, staring out into the dump he'd called home. It wasn't really home, he didn't like it here in the sense that it was somewhere he'd put his heart and soul into.
A man was calling out into the street, calling out for anyone to give him a few credits for a blowjob. Trevan wanted to laugh at the drug-addled idiot.
It was exemplary of everything wrong with this city..of this country. Trevan closed his window and locked it. He got dressed. Simple clothes, quiet shoes, and found the mask... The wolf stared back at him. He never liked staring at it for long and instead stuffed it into his backpack.
He quietly stepped out into his work room, putting the saw sword into his pack as well. And making a silent exit from the apartment. There was a drug den a few blocks from the bar...
-
Kit's eyes snapped open easily enough, though she didn't move. Didn't let on that she was awake. When the apartment door closed she rolled from the bed and quickly enough pulled the jeans back on, slipped her feet into her shoes and was following after her gracious patron.
What was he up to?
Licking her lips she kept her footsteps quiet. Years of training at work while she followed him. Was he off to sell her out? Off to sell her? Kit stayed far enough behind him to not raise suspicion but close enough to not lose him.
A chill ran through her and she'd wished she'd brought her sweater. No bra and just a tank top didn't exactly make for a warm top but it was too late to go back and Kit probably couldn't get back in anyway unless she scaled the building.
For now she would wait. Patiently.
For now.
-
Trevan kept walking, quickly but casually, down the few blocks, unaware of Kit tailing him. Even fewer people were on the streets now, the bums either asleep or dead from hunger and cold. Trevan paid them no heed, turning quickly down an alleyway and finding himself deep in a myriad of alleys interconnecting.
He looked up at the fire escape above and began to scale it, pulling himself up with ease and standing on the outside rail. When he was close enough, he jumped and leapt onto an opposing railing, vaulting himself up and looking around for an open window.
And there was one just off the edge of one fire escape beside a pipe screwed to the outside. "Too easy," he whispered to himself and climbed higher. When he was high enough he made a running leap for the rainpipe, and clamped onto the bolts, inching towards the ledge. With one shoe on the ledge and another against one of the pipe fittings, he pulled out his mask. The wolf head slipped on with ease, and he slipped inside.
-
Kit watched the display and was impressed.
Normally she'd have started to pursue him. No one had skills like that for a good reason. Now though. Now she could appreciate them. Could appreciate that she could do that. Once he'd pulled on a mask - mask? - and slipped inside the building she followed suit. Though she waited at the fire escape. Waiting for trouble.
Was he going to murder someone?
Kit folded one arm under her breasts and rested her elbow on her hand, nervously pulling at her lip while she waited for any sigh of trouble.
But who would be in trouble?
The mask made her suspicious and quickly enough she dimmed the lights surrounding the building and where she was. Surveillance camera's were everywhere but they couldn't record what they couldn't see. At the first sign of trouble, Kit was at the window Trevan had slipped into, crouching on the ledge, peering in from the darkness outside.
-
[I'm assuming she just dimmed the lights outside]
The lights flickered a bit and Trev could hear voices in the next room, complaining about ultimately ddy power in this district, and worrying about whether one man paid the bill.
"You moron. Go check the fucking light in there. You were last in the room! Shut the fucking light off!" Gruntled protests emerged, but ultimately, the man came into the room and reached for the lamp he'd left on. But when he turned around Trevan was on him, meeting his head with the hard end of a bat. He went down hard, making a muffled noise and Trevan whacked him again, splitting his skull.
Here was a gun under his belt, one that Trevan took and dismantled. "Hey, Ronny the light's still fucking on!"
At no response another got up, coming this way. But Trev was ready, switching from his bat to the saw sword, and the soft whirring of the chain blade rang out met flesh, slicing the second man across the chest.
-
[You assumed correctly!]
"Wow."
Kit had gotten to the window in time to see Trevan use his strange contraption and use it to cut down a man. The dismantled gun was a curiosity to her and she took a careful step into the room, blinking at the one dead man, then at the other one. Who, not dead yet, was gravely wounded and soon would be.
"Light's still on," Kit said softly before she watched Trevan and they dimmed, setting a soft glow before she moved over to the wall and flicked the switch, turning it completely off.
"You a vigilante there, Wolfmaw?" Kit asked softly, looking at his mask before she looked at his weapon and the man dying on the floor. Kneeling down, she placed her hand over his eyes and closed her own. The body went still and she stood up, wiping her hand on her... The jeans she was wearing. "You know scaling up buildings is suspicious."
-
Trevan felt the hackles on his neck stand on end as he heard Kit's voice behind him. He jerked around, before he could finish off his prey. But they would bleed out soon enough. He stepped away, several steps back and just stared at her.
She saw him. His alarm threatened to turn on the saw sword, the chain had stopped its whirring when his hand released pressure on the trigger.
"You need to get out of here," he said, not risking taking off his mask, though he knew she was aware it was him. "Go back, now! There are more in this place!"
He turned back and went for the door that was out in the hallway.
-
Rushing forward, she grabbed his arm and held steady. Grip tight.
"I can help you," though once the words were out of her mouth she let go of his arm, took a few steps back. Hands up. He had a weapon and she did not and while she knew she could probably hold her own against him, Kit wasn't exactly keen on trying or finding that out.
"Did you forget what I am?"
-
"I didn't. But why would you want more trouble?" he hissed in a harsh whisper.
-
Kit frowned, looking around.
"Same reason you do," She hissed back, looking him up and down.
"There will only be more trouble if they any of them get away anyway." A tilt of her head, a single eyebrow rose, challenging him.
"It's a shitty neighbor hood, maybe it'll be a bit less with some scum gone." Kit moved closer again, examining him, watching. What a curious man. "I can help."
-
Trevan remained still, listening to her, waiting to see if she was going to take matters into her own hands. And she just might. Trevan pulled the bloodied bat from his pack and handed it to her. "Cover your face. I don't have another mask," he whispered.
He gestured to the drapes. "Quickly."
-
Cover her face?
Kit looked at him confused for a second.
Oh, right. Disguise.
Kit looked over to the drapes and quickly ripped them down. A bit of a psychic knife to her pull and she came away with a chunk that she tied around the lower half of her face. Another chunk of material was draped over her left arm to hide the tattoo - a very defining feature. Taking up the bat and looking at it, she cast another glance at Trevan and gave a small shake of her head.
This wasn't what she was expecting from that seemingly gentle person that made her a sandwich and coffee a few hours ago.
The tingling climbed up her spine but she simply rolled her shoulders and propped the bat up, tilting her head.
"Let's bust some heads then," Her voice was muffled by the cloth and she shook her head. A few months ago this would have been a routine mission if the dragons were feeling giving and generous. "Lead the way, I've never been in command before."
-
Trevan didn't like this.
All of it spelled trouble. Certainly on his own, it decreased his chances of getting caught. But with another to tag along, even with an ex-Pilot, he could feel the anxiety in his gut perk up. He took a breath before opening the door and entering the hallway.
He gauged the area. He didn't have any psychic powers to feel out any forms of life, or read their thoughts, but he could listen, and listen he did when he turned into another room, and found three men. "What the fuck!?" one of them cried, quickly rushing forward.
Trevan pressed the trigger, the chain whirring once again, and Trevan slashed the blade across his collarbone, slashing across the man's neck, and severing his head from the rest of his body. The others were already up, one trying to reach for a gun underneath the couch, and the second throwing a table up at Trev.
-
Kit could feel the anxiety radiating off of him. His body language. A small part of her felt guilty, knowing that him being worried now was her fault. The other part didn't feel so bad. She could help. Maybe this wasn't what he wanted as payment but Kit could provide help. In some manner or another.
There was a moment of distraction when his strange chainblade knife-sword started up and she wondered for a moment if he got the idea for that from a game.
Then she spotted the gun.
It was up and ready to be shot, but Kit was just that much faster. A blinding flash of light went off around the room and what was going to be a new thigh-hole for Trevan ended up being a harmless bullet hole in one of the couches. A well trained weapon, Kit quickly went over to the man with the gun, a simple hand movement - more for her benefit - he gave a startled gasp and looked around, swinging his arms violently before she kicked the gun from his hand, wrapped her arms around his neck and twisted.
The man crumpled to the ground. Dead.
Every other way was too much blood. Too violent.
"Wolfmaw? You okay? You better not call me Drapeface."
-
Trevan had dealt with the second man, beating in his head in and stomping on his chest. He had to make sure he was dead. The neck was an easy fixer of that dilemma.
He watched her from the corner of his eye. Maybe she was useful after all.
"Howler," he corrected. "Let's get moving."
-
"Howler," Kit confirmed, eyeing him up and down.
At least he looked okay.
Very messy though.
Kit made a point of stepping over the slowly growing pool of blood and she nodded her agreement.
"There's..." Kit stared ahead, eyes unfocused for a moment, "Five people nearby." Another pause, "Pretty sure one's a hooker. So... Three, two of them are busy." Moving forward after clearing the pool of blood, Kit stopped short of leaving the room and looked over her shoulder at him.
This was his thing. Kit was just a tag along. "Lead the way, Boss."
-
True, Trevan didn't like the way she addressed him, but he didn't want to talk. He jumped forward and moved quietly and as quickly as he could.
One opened the door and came through, carrying a case of product, white dust that he gave a lick to as he passed by the door. Trevan grabbed his head and pulled him back, holding his neck and firmly until the man grew still.
A quick blade across his throat and he as finished. He looked up to Kit. "Any movements?"
He got to his feet, saw sword at the ready.
-
So messy.
This was his rodeo and Kit remained quiet.
Kit pointed to a closed door at the end of the hall and simulated a lewd motion with her hand, then another door and gave a nod. If he didn't want her talking he'd get make-shift hand signals - she was assuming he didn't know her kind.
She's never been the best at ad-libbing.
"Don't panic," Kit whispered before she took a quick breath and the lights in the building went out, though she extended her vision to Trevan, so he'd be able to see in the dark too. The surprise and anger from the four remaining people at the lights going off echoed through the doors and Kit got the bat ready.
When this was all done she'd need another shower.
-
The darkness was a blessing. And when all that could be heard in that drug den was the sound of bones breaking and blood squirting.
Trevan was panting in his mask by the end of it, but he still didn't take it off. The hooker was too drugged up to realize what was happening. He was not interested in her, and she would be all that remained of that den that night. The drugs were flushed down the toilet, and their equipment destroyed.
Trevan left through the open window again, scaling down with ease and only took his mask off when they were free of prying eyes.
-
Kit followed him closely, staying back when he went on his little rampage and held tight to the baseball bat. This was intense in a bad weird way. Did this guy have issues? Some hero complex? Kit stared at the back of his head when they were finally outside, ripping off the fabric that covered her face and tattoo.
Many questions filtered through her head.
Still, a shiver ran up her spine and she followed him closely enough. Hands free after the baseball bat had been returned to his backpack.
"Can't say I expected that. I thought you were just going out to score a little ass." Kit finally blurted out on the way back, voice quiet, faint enough to be missed by the ears everywhere.
-
Trevan didn't speak. He didn't even acknowledge that she was behind him when he finally returned to his apartment. He let out a heavy sigh.
"Why did you help?" was his only question. He opened the door and quietly closed it behind him.
-
"Why?"
Kit looked around, spread her arms to encompass 'everything' around her.
"I helped make this. I was... I was at the top of the food chain. I could have helped stop this. Kept people like you safe. People... People like that hooker safe but..." Kit dropped her arms and moved to hold her arm in front of herself, fingers gripping her pants.
"I dunno. All the hard work I put into become some broken human weapon should go to some use." Kit looked up at Trevan for a moment before she looked back down at the ground, "Why not here? Why not... No one else is going to fix it, so I helped you do it."
-
She didn't know him. Not like that anyway. But what she said pulled at something. Trevan turned away and walked toward the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror.
"I don't know if what I'm doing is doing anything," he admitted. "But what the hell else can I do? I'm a nobody. Maybe that's why I do it. I don't have anything to lose."
-
Kit's hands were trembling while she stared down at them. The scar on her palm, the gouge at her wrist. The callouses. Haviah was her home, right? Squeezing her hands into fists she followed him to stand at the door, looking at his reflection in the mirror.
"Even the tiniest ripples can eventually be waves," Kit stated before she tried to smile at him, "You have more to lose than I do. I don't even exist anymore. I'm sorry for following you, Trev, I don't even know why I did it. Habit, I guess."
-
"It's all right. Although I guess we both know our secrets now." He gave her a smirk before undressing and stepping in to the shower. He didn't care that she was still standing there. And the cold water was refreshing against his skin after the heat of adrenaline.
-
The staring was unintentional.
No, really it was.
"uuuuuh, I'm sorry!"
Kit stared before a hot flush climbed up her neck and she quickly stared down at the ground and shut the door. The adrenaline in her own veins was slowly ebbing away and the tingling came back with full force. It made her knees weak and Kit squeezed her eyes shut, pressing a hand to her forehead.
There it was.
At least she knew that adrenaline kept whatever it was at bay.
That was good to know.
Kit removed the jeans again, uncomfortable things that they were, and curled up in a fetal position on the couch, covering her face with her hands. The glow she was emitting was dim -not noticeable if there was a light over head - but in the dark, Kit became a little nightlight. A shiver and deep even breathing.
The sound of the shower was nice to focus on and Kit just listened to it while she laid there and pain radiated down her spine.
-
He just smirked when she just closed the door in haste. He chuckled and washed up, taking his time about it. The bloody remnants pooled around his feet, falling into the drain. It was always messy business, even when he tried to be most careful... But his weapons were designed to be more efficient, and quieter than guns.
He moved to clean out a cut on his arm. An accident, from a knife that had been slashed out in the dark. He just about finished and wrapped a towel around his waist, taking his clothes to the washer and throwing it in there.
He wandered over to Kit, where she was bundled in to a ball and he sat beside her. "You need another shower," he said, nudging her shoulder. "You...you okay? You're trembling."
-
Kit reacted violently to the nudge. Not to Trevan, but just the movement. Her hands jerked away and for a brief moment the glow was intense, wincing she moved to sit up.
"Yeah, just... Everything hurts," Kit took a breath after calming down, hands still shaking. Looking down at herself, the little splatters of blood. Yeah, she did need a second one. A look towards the bathroom and then down at herself, plucking at the shirt. "I guess once the adrenaline wore off my brain decided to hit me with the dragon-thing," An attempt at a smile and Kit slowly stood up, rolling her shoulders.
That could turn her into an adrenaline junkie for sure.
Maybe she should go scale a wall.
They would have to be washed anyway, Kit thought, looking down at the clothing before she pulled off the top, too tired and in pain to care about being naked. Not that she'd normally care anyway. Seeing someone else naked was more embarrassing than anyone seeing what she had on display.
The boxers followed quickly after and rudely leaving the clothing in a pile on the floor, Kit made her way to the shower, turning it on before she went and sat on the bottom. Didn't even bother to close the door. Where Trevan had a cold shower, Kit had a hot one and she lazily washed the blood away that got on her, running her fingers through her hair and before long she was laying in the fetal position at the bottom of the shower while the lights dimmed then brightened periodically.
-
Trevan had the courtesy of putting the bloody clothes she wore into the washer too and he went about running it. He was shaking, and he hated that they were. Carefully, he took his time in cleaning his weapons, his backpack and dressing in soft pajamas. He had some sweatpants left over, with another tank and laid them out for her.
"Kit...Kit, you should have some wine. The alcohol might help stave off the pain...numb you a bit?" he offered.
-
Finally when Kit pried herself off the shower floor, she was red from the hot water but a little less tense. Though the occasional twitch sent her spine tingling and she winced and grimaced before pulling on the sweatpants and after quickly toweling off her hair so it wouldn't drip on everything she walked into the kitchen after pulling on the tank top.
What a night.
"Can't say I've tried that yet," Kit said with a smirk before taking a seat and resting her head on her hand, grimacing with each pulse of pain. They made her muscles tense and she rolled her shoulders every now and then in lame attempts to stave off the pain.
"Sounds good. Load me up with wine, maybe it'll help me sleep." Pushing her damp hair from her shoulders, Kit's glow pulsed with her pain. When it was worse, she was brighter and when the pain ebbed away she dimmed down. "Are you going to have some too or stick to water?"
-
Trevan smiled, glad he had her attention on something that didn't include painful throes and the murder of drug dealers.
He took out the wine he'd bought from the bar, glad he did so in the first place. He took two glasses and poured them. None of them were fancy wine glasses, just simple receptacles to hold the liquid and transfer to their bodies as efficiently as possible.
"I'll have some too. It's better not to drink alone, makes you less of an alcoholic. It's true, I read it in a magazine, so clearly there was hard research on it," he said, smirking and watching her movements with care. "Here. Cheers? Not sure if that's called for."
-
"Cheers!" Kit replied, paused before she grimaced and pursed her lips, "Cheers to... Wine."
A smirk after she swallowed a mouthful. Alcohol had always done a good job on Kit, mostly the reason why she stayed away from it. Coffee was one thing, alcohol made her feel funny. That was okay though, once the first glass was down - possibly too quickly - she stretched her arms back and thrust her chest forward.
Though the muscle spasm that immediately followed had her recoil and hiss in pain.
"I don't suggest ever getting an older model for a dragon," Kit pouted at Trevan, "They do weird shit to you like... Like... put metal things in you," A glare down at her arm and poked at one of the ports, shaking her empty glass she smiled, "Kind Fair Sir Trevan, may I have some more?"
-
He laughed, a genuine one despite what they'd just gone through together. They made a pretty good team, she and him. Even good drinking buddies, Trevan never really had one of those.
Not that he had any good reason to do so.
He tipped his glass back, savoring the flavor and pouring her another glass. "Why yes you may, my friend," he said, beaming. "Careful though, I don't wanna clean puke up off my floor."
-
Kit decided she quite liked his laugh.
A bright smile and she nodded at him, giving him a mock glare at the declaration of not wanting to clean up her puke. Kit took another sip of wine before she looked down at the ground.
"Nah, I won't puke. Maybe in the morning but I'll aim for the Not Floor. " The Not Floor being in the bathroom somewhere or the general direction in which she waved her hand at. Resting her head in her hand, she took another gulp of wine and looked down at the table.
"I still feel really guilty about not being able to pay you for... For anything." The guilt was relayed in her voice, the puppy look she gave to Trevan when she looked up at him through her hair. A heavy sigh and she quickly finished off that glass of wine, pushing it aside for the time being, waiting for everything to settle. "How did a nice guy like you end up... With the thing?" She moved her hand over her mouth to mime a mask and let it flop back onto the table.
-
"Maybe saving my life was payment enough," he said. He sighed, shaking his head. He didn't want to talk about it, but the situation sort of brought itself up.
"I...uh," he paused, considering his answer for a moment.
"I uh, came from a not so good upbringing. I'm not trying to tell my life story, I know, but my mom was a secretary of some corporate big shot's and they had a baby - me - but she was also the girlfriend of a not so good guy... Like one of those guys we just iced.
"They were iced...both of 'em. I, uh, never got the chance to settle the score... Bastards like him are the undercurrent of this city...of many cities just like Haviah...I dunno...maybe I have a death wish. Maybe I think I'm trying to do something good. I don't really have any answers. Nothing solid anyway."
He took a deep drink of the wine and refilled his own glass. There was still plenty left in the bottle. And for once he actually felt lie getting drunk. "The mask...was just something I found. Is it spooky?"
-
There were gracious eloquent words for this situation.
Something deep and meaningful that would be able to express just how bad she felt for the Trevan as a child. Kit poured herself a third glass of wine, took a sip of it before sighing.
"That's shitty news, Bro." Eh, not quite what she was looking for, but it would do. Even her candidacy hadn't quite been that bad, Kit guessed, looking thoughtful for a moment before she looked at his face and imagined the mask.
"I'm sure it's plenty spooky for someone who's not psychic and didn't make their living being plugged into a dragon," Kit gave him a shit eating grin before she winced and pressed the palm of her hand to her temple, she supposed she deserved that. Giving her lips a lick she reached forward to press her hand over Trevan's, giving it a light squeeze. "You're stupid. Brave. Very brave, but stupid."
A small smile and Kit rubbed at her chest for a moment before leaning back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. "So... Mechanic by day, Super Hero by night?" Kit sat back up, eyed what she could see of him up and down and licked her lips thoughtfully, "You're good for someone who's never been trained. Have you? Been trained? Or are you all self -taught?"
-
"Very stupid and very...just more stupid," he said agreeing and perhaps a bit drunkenly too. He laughed and gestured to the couch. Moving over to the first seat, he plopped down and settled the bottle there. He was exhausted and could sleep for days. Thankfully the next day was the last one of the week and he could hopefully enjoy a few days off.
Either that or Karim would promise more 'free' work to some friend and he'd have to work overtime. Fucker.
"Just...practiced myself I guess. I wouldn't call myself a professional, but I do what I can to survive," he said, looking over to her and feeling his eyelids go half-lidded. "My mechanic's expertise come in handy when it comes to modifying my equipment. That saw blade you saw...I made that myself. The bat is just a simple handy weapon that's good for popping skulls. As you saw."
-
Just more stupid.
Weren't they all.
Kit followed him to the couch, the alcohol having helped divert whatever left over brain power she had to making her deliciously buzzed. Taking a seat beside Trevan, she leaned slightly so the side and forward, her head falling forward to briefly display the ports that lined down her spine and the back of her neck.
"That is some cool stuff you got there," She confirmed, resting her elbow on her knee and her head on her hand. "Impressive. You're a talented man, I hope they never catch you... Though you seem to be doing a good job so far." Kit reached with her free hand to give his knee a pat before she took the bottle of wine and frowned at her glass, which she'd left on the table. A wrinkle of her nose and she put the bottle back down.
She'd fill her glass up again.
In a minute.
"Fuck. What a day. What a life." Kit gave a humorless laugh, shaking her head, "No amount of money or fame will ever make living your life for someone else worth it," She said solemnly, "so... There's some words of wisdom for you."
-
"Spoken truth at that!" Trevan raised his glass again and drank only part of it before offering her the rest. Motor skills were beginning to fall from their peak,and he stumbled toward the table to retrieve hers. And when he came back, he stumbled over the top of the couch and landed head first on the cushion.
He laughed, working hard to right himself.
"Oh, god...this is some pretty strong wine.... I...Haven't gotten drunk in a really long time. I didn't spill anything on ya did I?"
He sobered just enough and filled her empty glass, which now became his.
"So, how long have you been running? I mean...was all ...this...very recent?"
-
A shrug.
"Wouldn't bother me none, they're your clothes," she pointed out finishing his glass of wine while helping him right himself. Or at least helping him sit on his butt instead of his side or back. Kit filled his glass - her glass? whose was this? and took a sip, looking over at him with a quiet thoughtful look.
Then she shrugged.
"A few weeks maybe? I don't really remember, once I got down here the days sort of all blend together 'cause the sun is so far a-fuckin'-way." Kit sneered to the window before she shook her head, "I guess... Not long. Recent. Can probably find news of me one way or another." A small fleeting smile, "I wasn't a hot shot Pilot. I kept my head down, minded my own business, Ixt probably came up with something and I'm officially dead." She flexed the hand that used to have the chip in it, "Fuckin hurt getting that thing out."
Pushing her hands through her hair, Kit took another drink and leaned against Trevan, her head resting on his shoulder. Inhibitions were gone and her head felt heavy. "Now I'm nobody and I have nothing except a really weird addiction and a shitty bike."
-
"I guess you're not completely unfortunate," Trevan admitted tiredly. He felt sleepy himself and slumped back against the couch. He closed his eyes, setting the glass on the table and getting comfortable. He began to fall asleep. "I mean...ya found me... You could be dead... But maybe death is better, I dunno."
And fell asleep.
-
Kit frowned at her giving new friend for a moment, gave his leg a shove.
Yup. Asleep.
Heaving a breath, Kit looked him over and licked her lips, rolled her shoulders. It would be easy to pick him up and carry him to his bedroom. Nothing she'd never done before - except it was - and instead of doing that she simply put her own glass down and followed suit. Though instead of slumping against the couch she pressed her head to his thigh and used that as a pillow.
Just as quickly, Kit was asleep too on her new Friend Pillow, face pressed into his stomach and eventually her arms wrapped up around his torso.
What a day.
What a night.
-
And when Trevan woke up, he did so with a jerk and abruptly yelped. Yup, it was morning. And yup he was hung over, and yup his neck and body was all twisted up. What a night indeed.
"Ouuuuuuuuuuuch," he griped, rubbing his skull and trying to slowly crack out the stiffness in his joints. "Ow! Fuck. How much did I drink last night?"
-
Kit didn't jump when Trevan woke up. Already awake, she'd cleaned the cups, did the dishes in the sink and was mostly waiting for Trevan to wake up so she could feel not-so-awkward in his kitchen. Though cleaning up was the least she could do at the moment.
"I hope you don't mind," Kit said, her voice soft, "I helped myself to your kitchen," Placing a cup of coffee in front of him on the little table, she sat down with her own and looked at him from the side.
"Half a bottle of wine, by the way." Leaning back on the couch she took a sip of the black coffee in her cup and crossed her legs at the knee, "How's the head? That bad?"
-
She did him a bigger favor than she knew. Trevan stared at the hot cup of coffee in front of him and despite himself, a smile spread across his face. "Uh...no. Thanks. I mean it. I hate making coffee after a hangover. But if I make it the night before, it gets like a burnt taste," he said, taking the coffee and sipping it slowly.
It was surprisingly just how he liked it. Luckily things never got too light around here.
"My head'll be fine," he murmured. "Although, I didn't expect the wine to have quite that effect. Hangovers are not my favorite thing." He laughed a little and immediately winced.
-
Kit shrugged and pushed a hand through her hair, looking at the wall ahead. It nagged at her. She'd had a routine since she was fourteen, wake up at the crack of dawn, train, try not to get TRIM'd. Now... She just woke up at the crack of dawn.
Tried to live.
It sort of sucked.
"No one likes a hangover, want some toast?" Kit smiled before she reached over and passed a hand through his hair. It was an unconscious movement, an attempt at being soothing but as soon as she realized she did it she snapped her hand back.
-
Yeah, that was weird.
Trevan blinked at her and just smiled. "What was that for?" he asked.
-
"Uuuh," Kit opened her mouth but instead she just turned several shades of red.
"My mom," She pushed her hand through her own hair, "When I was younger, sometimes I'd get bad headaches - before I was a candidate - she'd..." Another hand through her hair, "It... Didn't actually do anything but it felt nice."
Lifting her and pressing her palm flat on her thigh, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have touched you." Ignoring the fact she woke up with her face mashed into his stomach and her arms around his middle.
-
"Oh, well it felt nice. Would you mind doing it again? I hope my hair is soft," he asked, leaning his head toward her.
-
Hesitantly Kit reached over and ran her fingers through his hair, lightly scratching at the scalp because well, she enjoyed that. Neurotic strange Kit enjoyed head scratches so surely that meant most people did.
"Your hair is plenty soft, Trevan." Kit said quietly, smiling and shaking her head, "Don't you have a girlfriend to do this for you or something?"
-
He laughed, leaning into the head scratches. He shook his head and just closed his eyes. Frankly he did like it, and his scalp showed it by wriggling a little beneath her fingertips.
"Nah, not really. And not really, as in noooo," he murmured. He smirked. "Most girls are not interested in dating mechanics with penchants for going to drug dens to pop some skulls. No doubt one of them would want to, heaven forbid, sleep over."
-
Kit didn't let up on the head scratches, what had started as her carding her fingers through his hair became her petting him. Not that she minded. Kit owed him big time and if this was a tiny thing he enjoyed then she could give it to him.
"I imagine it's more the poppin' skulls part than the mechanic part." Kit leaned back slightly and smirked, "Not a fan of sleep overs, huh? I never was, either. Hated them. Though, I suppose in this case, beggars can't be choosers."
-
"Well, I just mean, if they sleep over...they'll get nosy and...look around for stuff. They all do," he said with a tired sigh and patted her hand when he'd had enough of the pets. He laid back against the sofa. "Did you puke? Hopefully in the toilet?"
-
"Oh, I just hated people touching my shit," Kit replied candidly, not even thinking of people going through her stuff. For a bunch of psychics privacy was a pipe dream - if you wanted a secret you had to work damn hard at keeping it that way.
Slowly she took her hand away and took another sip of coffee, "Nah, I didn't throw up. It'd have been all over you if I'd done it by accident, I sorta... I sorta fell asleep on your lap."
-
Trevan blinked at her, then his coffee. "Oh! So that's why my leg was all numb. Your head is kind've heavy. Or maybe it's all your hair. Or maybe the metal bits. But yeah, made my leg fall asleep."
He laughed a little. "I'm just kidding. It's okay." He looked at the clock in the kitchen and slowly stood up, taking his coffee with him. He tossed the clothes from the washer to the dryer and turned on that warm tumble. "What are you planning on getting done today? Assuming the charge took on the battery I mean."
-
Kit stared at him for a long time, trying to figure out what she was going to do.
"Go." Was all she could come up with, looking down at his clothing on her. Looking back up she shrugged, "I was just... Going to go. No plans. I don't exactly know how to... Get by while not existing. I've never even stolen anything."
-
"Then maybe that's just what they're expecting you to do," Trevan wondered, coming back into the living room and sitting on the couch again, one leg tucked under a knee. "To just go...with no plan. Makes it easier to get caught."
Not that he was an expert or anything. "What if you stuck around for a while? Not anything permanent, just long enough for you to actually get some money....and make a plan."
-
"Stuck around for a while?" Kit frowned at him, looking confused.
"I don't know enough people down here to couch surf." Frowning slightly she pressed her hand to her face and finally put her cup down to press her palms to her temples, the concept of staying with him didn't even occur to her. It was so far fetched that the idea was just something she'd have never thought of.
"You need a chip to have mon--" Kit looked down at her hand, pressing her fingers over her wrist where her chip was, a lick of her lips and she rolled her shoulders, "There's a pretty big black market ring for counterfeit chips." A quick glance to Trevan, "most of them are for illegal immigrants or criminals leaving Aedolis." Gently she bit her lip, finger trailing over the scars there.
"I should get one. Do you think they'd expect that? For me to just... Stay?"
-
"I think anybody looking for you, would probably think you'd want to get out of Haviah the fastest way you can. But there's only so much you can do with no money. I'm no big shot...I only make so much, and believe me if I had extra money to give I would," he said. "But you could try...and when you don't need the chip anymore, discard it. Destroy it, burn it to ash. You can stay here in the mean time."
-
Kit was floored.
Green eyes stared at Trevan for what felt like forever.
It felt like the bottom dropped out of her stomach and she moved a hand to her chest.
"Are you serious? Do... Do you have any idea how dangerous that would be? To... To let me stay here? They'd probably TRIM you too just... Just for helping me."
-
"Maybe. I could always say you forced me to do it. You're a Pilot after all," he said with a small smirk, sipping his coffee.
-
Kit snapped her fingers, grinning.
"Yes! Do that. If... You know." Quickly she sobered up, "If the worst happens. I made you do it. This was all me... uh... Mind controlling you." Sort of. He didn't need to know that wasn't exactly her bag. "Well, planted the suggestion." Rubbing her face for a moment she let out a careful breath and pressed her hands to her eyes.
"You're a life saver. I don't think I can ever repay you, Trev."
-
Trevan smiled, feeling it genuinely come along in what seemed an eternity.
"You know for a crazy ex-Pilot, you're not so bad," he laughed and it turned into more of a cackle. Oh, and he immediately regretted it afterward.
A hand to his head he looked over to.the clock. "I should go down and check your bike. You can stay here if you'd like. I have some storage space down in the building we could put it in."
-
Kit winced at his comment about being a crazy ex-Pilot but she tried to smile anyway and quickly enough she was staring down at her feet. "I'll stay here for now, I don't have my sweater and my tat's are a little obvious." A small smile and she rubbed her hands together before puffing out her cheeks.
What a strange life she led now.
Nothing had prepared her for this. There hadn't been a class on 'how to be a fugitive if you're suspected of treason' and Kit shook her head and chuckled at the idea. Kit waited patiently, tryin to mentally gather her ducks into a row before she moved to the table and buried her head in her arms.
-
Trevan pat her on the shoulder and went to his room, getting dressed and grabbing his jacket. "I'll go check on that rat bike before my boss gets in. Make yourself at home. Just don't burn the place down yeah?"
-
Kit tried to smile at him, simply nodding.
"Promise to put out any fires before you get back," She said softly, lifting her head up enough to keep her chin off the table. What exactly could she do around here? Besides take another shower.
Kit was content to sit at the table, her head in her arms, trying to riddle out the strange unwanted puzzle her life had before. First thing was first though, getting a new ID chip. Which was easier thought about than done.
-
"Don't you tell me what to do! I tell you what to do," Karim exploded and Trev could feel the spit flying onto his face. Trev just blinked at him. "I tol' you. If they can't pay, you don't do work! I don't pay you for free work."
"Geeze, Karim. Calm down!" Trev called back, turning to check on the battery. It was fully charged now and ready to be installed. Now if only Karim would get out of the way and let him work on the bike! "Karim. It's my bike. I traded it to some druggie for fifty creds and you can take the cost of the battery out of my pay."
He sighed and went about the task.
"You better bet I'll take it out of your pay!" Karim hissed and puffed on his cigar and waddling off to the office, muttering in frustration.
Trevan sighed and worked quickly to install the battery. It was a good one too, but damn if he wouldn't eat for a week because of it. He knew this shit would probably happen. He kept his cool, and once the bike was ready, he set it aside.With Karim here he couldn't just leave.
It wouldn't be until.hours passed that he returned home. And found it empty. "Kit?"
-
Sitting didn't ... Sit well with her.
Kit had been antsy within the first half hour. Antsy enough to pull on her gross sweater and go outside. There were rules to play by. Or at least... There had been rules. It wasn't hard to pick out the right people, give the quiet suggestions, the soft influences. Before long Kit had the leads she needed and the burning pain in her wrist with the carefully made bandage was more than enough.
Katerina Zedgard. Twenty-Five. Computer security specialist. Divorced. No children. Previously owned a cat.
Kit rubbed at her wrist gently through the sweater. It had taken a good deal of effort to make the guy do the work without him knowing what he was doing and it took a good deal of self control to not siphon credits into her account.Those he would notice missing.
It hadn't taken long but by the time Kit had meandered her way back to Trevan's apartment she remembered she couldn't exactly get in on her own. Scaling the building was a little obvious during Designated Day Time and so, Kit scuffed her boot to the ground and wandered off again.
It was a few hours later, her hair chopped off and she was only a few feet away from the apartment that the little mental twitch that let her know her gracious patron was home. While she wasn't there she heard him say her name and Kit looked around quickly.
"Can you let me in?" Kit said, her voice a soft echo in his mind "I got some stuff done but... I couldn't get back inside without it being really suspicious."
Not that standing at the door and staring up through the building was suspicious or anything. Kit pulled her shoulders towards her face, hands tucked into her pockets and she shuffled about like she was cold and waiting.
-
Holy shit! The whole voice in his mind thing definitely threw him off but Trev went from being alarmed to calming down. Right she couldn't get in. That would be a problem if she was going to come and go as she needed.
Ideally she would keep that to a minimum since, wanted Pilot n all.
He quickly went out the apartment, and toward the back, opening the door and keeping a look out as he let her in. "Sorry," he murmured. "C'mon." Back upstairs and Trev shook his head. "I should probably tell you the keycode. Because having you scale walls isn't going to keep attention away from you. And me. But mostly you."
-
Mostly you.
Kit grinned at the after thought.
"Yeah, mostly me."
Quickly once inside the apartment she shed the sweater, pulling it off quickly and plucking at the tank top.
"I know no one noticed, but I felt super self-conscious about being outside with no underwear on." It was an idle comment, mostly said to fill the silence. And it was. "It felt like eveyone who looked at me knew I wasn't wearing panties."
A brief glance at Trev and she folded her arms, making sure to keep pressure off her wrist. It was a hack job - messy looking with stitches still - but it would trick all the right things and that's what mattered.
-
"Do you tell all the guys you mooch off of you're not wearing any underwear, or just the ones that let you crash on their couch?" he remarked, smirking and laughing. "Well, I can't help you in the bra department. But I'm sure laundry's done. Your old stuff should be clean."
He moved to the dryer and tossed it all out into the basket, rummaging to find her previously discarded undergarments and held them between index finger and thumb as if they were covered in cooties.
-
Kit stared at him for a moment before going several different shades of red.
"I've lived with psychic's since I was fourteen. It's... One of those things that... I may as well say it because they'll know that I was thinking it anyway." Biting her lip she quickly snatched her things from his hands and folded her arms over them, looking away and frowning ever so slightly.
Still, the word 'mooch' had guilt bubble up her throat and she visibly deflated, looking down at the ground before she gave a small little nod and went to the bathroom to pull on said undergarments. Pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose, Kit sighed, stared at herself in the mirror for a few moments before leaving the bathroom.
"I can promise you two things. One, I'll never delve into your head, I hated it when they did that to me as a kid and it seriously fucking sucks to have someone invade probably the singular most private place you own. Two, I won't move shit around and I won't steal from you. So... That's three things." Kit sat at the table, hands flat on it before she looked over at him.
"Do you have any questions about what I can do? I'm sure you noticed the light stuff that was going on." Though if he didn't question it, she'd just assume he mostly didn't care about it - which was fine by her.
-
He didn't know she would take something as a little joking prod so personally, but upon explanation, he could see why. Trevan wandered over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Thanks. For those assurances. I mean it, I do," he said, and carefully retracted his hand. That was weird.
"Oh, and you forgot the murder part. That would help too," he said, nodding, remembering the two criteria he had for her staying over on the first night. He smiled. "Look, I...I guess... Okay, it's weird. Yeah, your...powers aren't something I'm familiar with. I appreciate you not probing my mind, but yeah, I am curious at what else you can do. I just wasn't sure whether or not I had any right to ask.'
-
Kit let out a surprised laugh.
"You've let me into your home." Kit started plainly, tilting her head to look at him and push her hand through her now shortish-poofy hair.
"You can ask me anything. I'm an open book for you." What else could she do? "I can control light. I can make people blind. I can see in the dark." A slight shrug, "Light stuff. I... uh... Can kinda glow - which I never really figured out how to stop since it happens in very specific situations that I don't really get into. Well, sometimes now I do."
Kit tapped her fingers against the table and looked away for a moment, puffing out her cheeks, "What do you want to know?"
-
"The light thing, tell me about the light thing," Trevan said, eyes glowing with interest.
-
The light thing.
Kit pursed her lips, folding her arms over her chest.
"I can manipulate light, I guess." She shrugged, not really sure how to explain it, "It's... Sorta ... I can move light. I can keep it from going to your eyes. I can see in the dark. I can make you see in the dark." Puffing out her cheeks, "I ... Move light." Looking off to the side, "Last night, before we plied me with alcohol, I think I was glowing. I do that. Though, unintentionally. I can... Make lights ... happen. Like a bright flash of it." Another shrug, "It's sort of hard to explain. Light's not really..." She flexed her hands as if miming holding something.
" Illumokinetic to be specific. A bit useless compared to a pyrokinetic or someone who can manipulate electricity." She shrugged before placing her hands flat on the table, "Anything else?"
-
"I don't think saving my leg from a shotgun blast and concealing us in darkness as.not useful at all," Trevan was quick to add. He leaned forward eyes wide as he listened.
"I think you were pretty useful. I think you were more than that. You helped.me even if you shouldn't have. I appreciate that. You know maybe you don't much care for your Pilot training, but I'm sure someone somewhere would want hired muscle with that kind of power. I'm not suggesting any jobs for you. But as it is...yeah, you're pretty hot. In both senses of the word."
-
That comment got derailed somewhere and Kit listened to him until he got to the being pretty hot part.
What?
Kit looked down at herself. Braless in a mans tank top and sweat pants, hair freshly cut. What exactly was he looking at? Why even comment on it? That just made stuff weird. Better to get it out of the way than just think it a strange comment, right?
"I'm sorry. I'm pretty hot in both senses of the word?" Kit leaned in on her elbows, tilting her head and offering him a confused polite smile, "I'm... Actually quite cool," which she made an attempt to cover her chest, remembering the whole braless thing. "I think you got a little distracted, Trevan, but," Kit smiled at him, "You're not bad looking yourself. Now that that's out of the way... Um. I'll start looking for a job or something tomorrow."
Not that it would be hard. People were very easy to manipulate and if she'd learned one thing as a Pilot it was exactly that.
-
Ohhhhh, did he strike a nerve? Apparently he did. In the most unintended way possible. Trev felt his face burn with embarrassment. "Oh, no! I meant like you're hot as in how a lightbulb is hot. Like...I'm going to stop. He blanched and shook his head.
"Okay, uh, there's some noodles and rice in the fridge if you want some. It's uh, two days old. Uhhhh, I'm gonna shower."
-
Kit just smiled at him, an eyebrow raised and blinked at him owlishly.
He'd been so confident with that mask on.
Hot like a lightbulb.
"That's adorable," she grinned at him widely, enjoying his bout of embarrassment "Well, I'm glad we cleared that up. Wouldn't want you thinking I was attractive, imagine all the trouble that would cause."
Kit didn't know what sort of trouble that would cause but she'd just recently discovered it was fun to tease him. "Have a nice shower," Kit called, "Think of me!"
Then she went rummaging through his fridge.
-
"Oh God!" Was all he said before slamming the door shut. He cooled off in the shower, making sure it was cold enough. Trevan sighed in the water, washing grime and sweat...and embarrassment from his body. In more ways than one.
Yeah, yeah, she was just teasing him. But he wasn't sure he only meant hot like a lightbulb, and he was pretty sure she knew that. Oh, he swallowed it down and walked out stark naked to his room, strutting his ass on the way.
-
There was a question on her lips and Kit moved over to catch him before he went to his room. Something about the food really being not that old? Then she caught sight of him, stared while he walked away and quickly turned several shades of red before turning back around and sitting at the table.
So awkward.
Kit played with her finger tips at the table.
Couldn't remember the question.
Or was it a comment?
When she closed her eyes all she could see was his dick.
Kit stared down at the table, blinking as little as possible. It wasn't polite to imagine someone's bits! By now she'd chewed a hold into her cheek and she cleared her throat.
"Trev," Kit started, raising her voice so he could hear her, teasing was one thing, wandering around naked was quite something else, "I know I'm just a guest but... Can I suggest you use a towel when you travel between rooms naked? I didn't mean to but I saw you naked! Again! I'm sorry."
-
She wasn't the only one that could make Awkward.
Trevan emerged from the room with casual sweats and a t-shirt, one with a metal band logo on it and he flexed, stretching high, walking over to the left-overs and taking a seat on one of the stools.
"So what's on the menu then? Sausage? I hope you're not going to eat all that food by yourself! I'm starving!" he said, as if she had said nothing at all about looking at his bits.
He was very smug about it, and casually stole a noddle from her.
-
Sausage.
Kit just stared at him, her face going more and more red.
Was this her life now?
Was the sausage thing even intended?
"I... uh... No?" She looked at him for a moment, doing her best not to flick her eyes down just in case he was watching, gently she pushed the remainders of food across the table to him. A dangerous look crossed her features and she leaned forward, shifting to rest her chest against the side of the table, pushing up her cleavage.
"I suppose sausage could be on my menu if you asked nicely enough," A smirk, Kit had always been bad at chicken, but, upside for her, it seemed Trevan got flustered easily.
-
Trevan blinked at her, mid-bite of helping himself to her noddles. He smirked a bit. "Are we really going to do this? Teasing each other with sexual innuendos?" He laughed and shook his head, blushing just a bit. "Oh, you would be asking me for my sausage," he said, laughing.
"It's pretty thick and meaty. I mean, that's the best kind of sausage isn't it? Juicy, and cut up, mixed with rice and noddles. Actually, I'm getting really hungry. Do you want some sausage with rice? I'll dump these left-overs in there too."
-
Thick and meaty.
Nope.
Nope nope nope.
Kit couldn't do it.
Blushing now and not making eye contact she pushed the left overs towards Trevan and stared off to the side. "Okay, I can't do it. You win. Put your sau... Put ... Just... Here, make whatever you like, it's all yours," then she waved her hand and put her hands on her lap, keeping her head turned away in a lame attempt to hide her face.
Maybe he wasn't as easy to make nervous as she was.
Damnit.
Here she thought she'd found a kindred spirit and it turns out she was just really good at getting herself into blushy trouble. Another hand wave and she closed her eyes, only to quickly snap them open because of the image burned onto her eyelids. "I won't tease you anymore, I don't think I can take what I dish out."
-
Trevan was blushing furiously too and suddenly he started to laugh. It came out in a short bursting snort at first before he tried to keep it in. He looked up at Kit and blushed some more, but still unable to contain his giggles.
"Oh, god. I'm sorry. I mean it," he said and tried to give the noddles back. "I was just trying to even the score. Look, please. This is awkward even for me. Let's, eat. Okay. How about some eggs? Bacon? Breakfast for dinner. I can cook at least. Living alone makes you get creative."
-
"I know living alone makes you get creative." Kit paused for a moment, "For meals. Creative when making meals."
Other things too, but mostly meals.
Mostly.
While Trevan was laughing Kit was all sorts of embarrassed and mortified, careful to keep her head down to avoid eye contact. "You're blushing like a virgin," She finally said wanting to get the last word in about that and then she rubbed her hands together.
"Make whatever you like, this is your house. I'll just sit here and... Uh.... " Not look at your butt, "count my fingers a few times. Make sure I have all ten. That sounds fun."
There was no where to hide like she desperately wanted to.
-
"You, uh,....okay. Just sit tight and keep counting, I'll whip up something delicious. Food, delicious food," he said, and began a ruckus in the kitchen. Trevan cracked eggs and fried bacon like nobody's business. The smells filled the kitchen. And soon two plates were on the counter and fresh coffee was made to go with it.
"There! How many times did you count your fingers?"
-
Kit looked up surprised.
"Uh. Twenty-two times?" A lie.
She'd been thinking of how to get credits quickly before the chip got compromised. Or uncompromised as it were. They were all caught eventually and Kit wasn't interested in getting shit dug out or jabbed into her wrist again. It was still tender and moving it hurt.
"I owe you a lot." Kit said looking down at the plate and coffee, her heart gave a lurch when she thought of how much he was simply giving her when she had nothing to offer. Well, nothing to offer that he would take. Not that Kit enjoyed the idea of paying him back with sex - which was quite literally all she had to offer at the moment.
"So. How did you get into mechanics? Why not..." Kit licked her lips and while the idea tasted bad in her mouth it was a question she was curious about, "Why not join the military? Aside from the dangerous part it's pretty cushy." While they liked you.
-
"What? Owe me? Get the heck outta here," Trevan said, biting into some eggs and bacon and munching on it eagerly. Yup, this was a heck of a lot better than nuked noodles and rice. Not that that wasn't good. But cooked food was usually better.
"You don't have anything to give. I'm happy to help. You probably wouldn't be surprised at how many people would just leave you high and dry, even with the offer of sexual favors. I don't care about any of that stuff. Money doesn't mean anything to me."
Which might explain the mechanic's work. Trevan ate quietly for a while, sipping his coffee and coughing a little. "I guess, I kinda just fell into it. I don't think I'd ever cut it as a solider, Pilot or otherwise. No offense. But I mean, maybe I like the chance of being just slightly more independent than they allow you to be? I don't live in a high-rise apartment, sure. But I make enough to get by. Karim - my boss - is a complete idiot. I'm surprised he makes any money at all. But he knows I'm damn good at what I do. And he doesn't bother too much about strict schedules."
-
Surely this guy wasn't from Aedolis.
Maybe somewhere interesting and foreign.
Even now, when she had nothing and was living off the generosity of a single person, she wanted to have money. Wanted to have some form of taking care of herself. Puffing out her cheeks and pushing a hand through her hair she ate quietly and drank her coffee.
Cracking a smile when he said no offense.
"I didn't want to be in the military, either," She said quietly. Staring down at the table for a moment at her empty plate, Kit sighed and shook her head slightly. "I am living proof that just about anyone can cut it as a solider," Kit smirked, "I wanted to write novels."
-
Oh, that definitely perked him up. Even more than the coffee did.
"Novels. A soldier writing novels? What kind of novels? Do you do much writing in your spare time? Or, did you, rather?"
-
Kit was caught off guard and instead she just smiled at him and shook his head.
"I didn't." Kit shrugged, "I didn't write anything after getting drafted. I just had my sights set on it, probably to be like my mom." Pushing a hand through her hair she rested her head on her hands and smiled at Trevan, entertained that of all things that got him asking so many questions.
"I've never had so much time to myself since I was a Candidate." Another shrug and she just stared at the table, "I don't think I could make believe anymore, much less write about it. Being turned into a dragon's tool seems to take more out of a person than I thought it did. Now that I don't have one I..." Kit leand back in her chair, staring down at her fingers, "I feel like I'm nothing, now. Like... A picture frame with no picture inside."
-
Trevan tilted his head, frowning just a bit. But when a smirk emerged, he just beamed. "From the way you make it sound, you've the most personality than any other robot I've ever encountered. And I've come across quite a few compelling ones." He winked at her and bit into some bacon.
"You have a lot of free time now, at least until you leave of course. There's a pen in the drawer and some paper in the desk. Write what you know. That's what I heard anyway. I'm no poet or novelist," he said, smirking at her, and drinking more coffee.
-
Write what she knew.
"Being brutalized mentally and physically since I was fourteen?" Kit wrinkled her nose and shook her head, "No thanks." Looking away after a moment, regretting her words she smiled at him.
"I appreciate it, really I do, I'd just... Prefer to keep doing what I can do to ... Go. Or get my feet under me or..." She remembered the night before, the mask, and she looked at his mouth before gazing into his eyes. Kit wasn't sure if this man was a serial killer, she supposed - technically - he was.
How odd.
"Help you clean the sheets- uh - streets." Kit sighed and rolled her shoulders.
"So... How much trouble were you in for the bike?"
-
Trevan heard that writing down one's thoughts on their troubles could help them cope better, but he wasn't about to suggest that to Pilot. Not yet anyway. If the notion struck her, he figured she'd get around to jotting something down.
"Oh, uh....a lot. But I told him it was mine. Karim doesn't like it when I give out free work. But he has no trouble doing it for his scummy associates. He says he doesn't run a charity, but when it comes to them, he's more than happy to throw out free money." He shook his head.
Something caught his eye though, her wrist. "Doesn't that hurt? Getting that put in there?"
-
Kit frowned, lifting an eyebrow.
A fighter for justice or whatever but he worked for a scumbag.
It was a good cover, she supposed.
Looking at her wrist she nodded.
"Hurt's like a motherfucker." Kit smiled sadly and shrugged, "Nothing I hadn't experienced. I had to rip out my old one, I'm amazed I didn't fuck up my tendons." She rubbed her hand over the bandage that covered the newly implanted chip before she stared down at it. "I have ports all up my spine," A brief glance to Trevan and she quickly looked away, frowning, "This?" She lifted her wrist and wiggled it, "Nothing compared to that. I even cried when they were installing those."
-
Still, ouch. At least, maybe just to his under-prepared mind.
He looked her over, to those weird holes again. "Just what do those do exactly? What's their purpose?" he said. "I remember you said something about older model dragons. You...plug into them? Like a socket? To do what exactly?"
-
Kit turned slightly, hiking the tank top up to expose most of her back. The ports a strange contrast to her skin, to be sure. "The kind of dragon he was and the kind of psychic I am wasn't quite as compatible so..." She motioned to her back, "Sort of... Bioelectrical with psychic stuff added in, I dunno, it's a dragon thing. It let him control my abilities better." Kit shrugged, "I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with him so... It didn't seem like that big of a deal at the time."
Now they just hurt and were unattractive. Kit lowered the tank top and turned back to Trevan, offering him a small little smile. "Basically, I was a weird battery that could lend my illumokineses to him through these little doo-dads. Mostly this one," She rubbed at the one at the base of her skull, "They're not dangerous though. Only Ixt can... Uh... Plug in, as it were."
-
"Holy shitake mushrooms. That's some heavy stuff," he said, letting out a low slow breath. Though, he didn't ask for permission, he still walked over to her and gently waved a hand around them, not quite touching them.
"You're one tough son of a bitch," he said with raised brows. "And I thought a guy getting his head chopped off had the worst of it."
-
Kit leaned back so that his hand touched her back, giving a brief look over her shoulder and shrugged.
"Well, being dead is sort of bad." Sort of. There were worse things.
"I didn't feel tough at the time." Kit let her head drop forward and she rolled her shoulders, "The pain. It starts from those. Little pulses of it. Maybe now that I don't have a dragon my body is just rejective them." A smirk, "Good luck to those, they're attached to me."
Which meant that maybe the pain was forever.
Wasn't like she could go see a doctor.
She'd be dead in minutes.
Kit pressed her fingers to her face and sighed, eyes closed, "Trev. I don't know what to do. I haven't had to make my own choices since I was fourteen."
-
"You were trying to get out right? Out of Aedolis? That's a start. You'll need money, and a ship..." He stopped there, thinking for a moment. Who had money in this city....? Who had access to getting in and out of the city with loads of product? Who had money to bribe officers and guards?
"You're pretty good at handling yourself in a fight. I imagine your piloting skills aren't bad, yeah?" he asked. "You know...those thugs we smashed in the other night. They'd have all the things you need. Do you know how many crooked bastards are in this district alone. Someone is bound to have a ship, a ship with lots of compartments to store items that might otherwise ne taxed up the ass. There's got to be a plan in there somewhere."
-
Kit stared at him for a few moments before she sort of started to fold into herself. Hunched shoulders, head down.
"It's okay... I ... I can find my own way out." Biting her lip for a moment she tried to smile all the same and reached to pay Trevan's arm gently. "Thank you for the help and I know you don't like hearing it but... I'll repay you. Somehow." Kit smiled and stood up from the table, stretching her arms up and rolling her shoulders.
"I think I'll have that shower now..." Kit paused and looked around, "Is that okay?"
-
"Uh, yeah, sure!" He nodded, smiling awkwardly and averted his gaze by where he'd been staring at her chest. He blushed and sputtered, quickly excusing himself and throwing a towel her way.
-
Kit smiled at his blush, finding it oddly cute in an innocent little way.
Though she caught the towel she did nothing to hide her chest and instead, held her hand on her hip and rose an eyebrow. "You blush awfully easy," A hypocritical thing of her to say - she'd blushed when he'd stripped down to shower, "Are you a virgin, Trevan? No shame if you are."
-
"What!?" he asked, turning to her with a barking laugh. "Are you serious? In Aedolis? Is anyone a virgin?"
He chuckled. "I'm not a virgin. I'm just trying to be not rude, and not stare. I'm a nice a guy." That just so happened to murder thugs. "Why? Are you a virgin?"
-
"Hey, that's why I said no shame!" Kit put her hands on her hips and gave him a look, smirking, "I might as well be with how often I get laid but... No. Technically I am not." A wink and a flick of her wrist and she was off to have her shower, and she returned in his sweats with the towel draped over her shoulders to cover her naked chest.
"Is my shirt and bra out here? I didn't think to take them with me." A bright grin because Trevan was a nice guy and wasn't going to stare. Or something. Apparently it was fun to tease him.
-
He was burning red, but he couldn't say as to why. So he gave her her bra and shirt at her and promptly went about washing the dishes, furiously.
-
"Thank you," Kit said quietly before taking the clothing back into the bathroom and returning out wearing her shirt and holding his tank top in her hand.
"Here's your top, thanks for letting me borrow it." A tilt of her head at his dishwashing and she grinned widely, "Is something wrong?"
-
Just what he needed to be absorbed in, flustered dishwashing. Trevan shook his head and his face was red furiously. "Uh, nothing," he said, feeling even more flushed and flustered. He took the tank and accidentally used it as a dish towel.
"Oh, gah! Stupid stupidhead," he mumbled. And threw the tank onto the counter. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be weird. I'm just uh, really tired. Yeah, super tired. And I need a beer."
-
"That's your..."
Kit stared at him for a moment, concerned, reaching a hand forward like she was going to pat her back.
"Trev..." Her voice was gentle and she looked worried. "Are you okay? Maybe... You can go nap?" Kit bit her lip and looked at the door. Maybe she should just go. Leave her bike here. He could sell it maybe. She had a new ID chip. It should keep her safe for a while, right?
Keep Trev safe.
"Maybe... Maybe I should go. You... You seem flustered. You'd probably be better if I just... went, yeah?"
-
At that Trev immediately turned to her. "What? Leave? Why would you leave? Did I do something wrong?" he asked, voice low. "No, it's okay. I'm just being weird, okay. I'm not trying to uh, make you go away, I like you staying here. It's nice to have company."
He gave a smile and moved toward the fridge, pulling out a few bottles of the beer in question and handed her one. "Here, look. Um, sit and drink, and be merry. As they say in bars."
-
Kit was entertained that he had beer in his fridge.
Of course he had beer in his fridge. It seemed like some sort of staple food for the man. Kit looked at the bottle in her hand, not remembering that she grabbed it and stared at it for a few moments before she popped the lid off with her hand. At least it looked like she did it with her hand, she used a slight mental push and the lid came away in her palm.
"You seem a little uncomfortable is all," Her voice was soft and she took a swig of the beverage, tilting her head and looking him up and down. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable in your own home, Trev."
-
"Me? Uncomfortable? Naaaah," he said nonchalantly. He raised his glass to her. "Cheers. You're my friend. And as long as this is my home, you're welcome here." He smiled and took a swig.
-
Sounded like a lie but Kit didn't probe to make sure. A gentle gnaw of her lip and she looked down at her drink before she gave a little nod and then smiled at him.
"Thank you. Trev, you don't know how much that means to me." Kit looked down again, growing sad. Had she ever been so selflessly accepted? Taken in? She reached around to touch the back of her neck, her fingers coming into contact with the metal. "I'll make it up to you. I..." A tilt of her head, "With your... Vigilante things. I can help you," Kit looked him up and down, "I can teach you things."
-
"Teach me stuff? Learn stuff from a pilot? Hell yeah! I doubt I'm a psychic, but I'm more than willing to learn." He smiled and downed another long sip of his beer. He sighed with relief and sat down on the couch.
"Could you show me how to kick ass more efficiently?"
-
"All the training and none of the mental scars," she smirked at him. Then paused and gave him a brief once over, sitting astride his lap. Gently she took the drink away, caught his wrists and held them above his head, "training begins now."
-
"Wait! Wait, wait," he said. He couldn't believe what he was saying, that he was really stopping something like this. Somehow, however, alarm set in, and this didn't seem like it would end well. They had just met after all, and maybe he'd seen her in her birthday suit, and maybe she'd seen him. But...that didn't mean they were meant to screw around did it?
"How will this help me kick ass?" he said. "We don't need to do this. I told you, you don't owe me anything."
-
Kit laughed.
Smirking.
With one hand holding his wrists she curled the other around his throat, choking, just enough to be uncomfortable. " I said training. Not fucking." A curious little tilt of her head, "Anyone could want you dead," a squeeze of his throat, "you dont have the luxury of seeing into peoples heads." She smirked, hands tightening, "get my hand off your throat."
-
Trevan didn't have the gift of military training. All of his fighting experience had been learned out of necessity, even if some of them weren't exactly practical. To be held like this was partly alarming, and maybe a little enticing.
He had to admit, he was at a bit of a loss, and he scowled at her. He threw himself off the sofa and body slammed her. Really it was his only option.
-
The hand didn't move though and quickly enough, despite her back hurting like a few bitches, her hand tightened on his throat until Kit's eyes went quiet and she jerked back like she'd been burned. A sharp hiss and she ducked her head down, rolling on the floor and curling up, her hands moving to the back of her head.
Kit missed Ixt.
A thick swallow and a shiver of pain ran down her spine. Connecting to all of the metal bits. Like a sharp string of electricity. The muscles on her back bunched up and she went quiet for a moment, unable to breathe before the tension eased and she gasped out, shivering.
The fuck was that.
Kit moved her hands to cover her face, trying to catch her breath. Zings of pain still climbing up and down her spine. "I thin..." Kit rolled over and ran to the kitchen sink, bending over it and retching whatever was in her stomach into the sink. A surprised sob left her mouth and she resting heavily on her arms, casting a watery eyed look to Trevan before she shivered and tried to catch her breath.
"I don't know," She stated to the simple and as of yet, unspoken question. "They don't ever tell us about what happens when you leave. Just that you die."
-
Trevan had been up on his knees at one point before being rolled over and watching Kit suddenly get up to retch in the sink. He curled up onto his knees, wrapping an arm around his legs, watching her intently. Questions rose up, but already he could feel his neck starting to bruise. He coughed, the pounding in his head subsiding for now.
"Kit," he began, standing and carefully standing up carefully move beside her. He didn't know what to do, really, since he'd never encountered something like this before... Did Pilots...break?
He carefully put rigid arms around her, holding her gently.
-
A shaky little breath.
"You cant break whats already broken," she whispered, giving him a gentle look. Kit leaned back into the touch though, giving a sigh and closing her eyes. Tremors stil ran through her and her muscles kept tensing up
It hurt but it wasnt anything she hadnt experienced before.
"Thank you," her voice was a little clearer now and she curled her arms over his, turning her head to rest against his shoulder with her eyes closed, "this helps." Kit eventually turned around, tucking her arms around his back and just... hugging. "I'm sorry if I hurt you," she muffled against his neck.
-
[The most awkward hug ever! 8D]
"It's okay," he said. He leaned into a hug a little until the contact was beginning to feel just a little itchy. He lifted his head. "I'm used to pain. Maybe not like what you can deliver, but I guess I built a small tolerance to it." He chuckled and rested his chin on her head.
-
Kit laughed. Used to pain.
She smoothed her hand over the flesh on his neck and gave a little nod, snuggled in deeper for the hug - even though Trevan clearly didn't want to be part of it. Soon enough she backed up and leaned against the counter, eyes closed before she leaned back. Kit tried to smile and she gave his arm a gentle squeeze, "I'll spring one on ya another time. Fight me off like a big boy. Learn you some good battle groove or something." She shrugged and slid down the counter to sit on the kitchen floor, eyes closed, looking tired and clammy.
-
Trevan was relieved just a little that she didn't break down further. He didn't know what he expected. But he didn't think that Pilots had any weaknesses. But she was just as vulnerable as he was...or perhaps not as he was... But still flesh in most places.
He sat down on the floor with her, but before doing so, he pulled another beer from the fridge, knocking off the top and giving it to her. "Woman, I'll look forward to that whooping," he said with his own beer and clanking glasses together.
-
Kit watched him slink down onto the ground with her and she gave a wet chuckle before accepting the beer and taking a deep drink of it. "Good, I'll deliver, I hope," her voice was soft and she gave Trevan a long look, tilting her head.
She could go delving for the information, but she kept her mind to herself and simply examined her new friend. Someone who was far too kind to be living in a place like this, "Do you like men?"
-
Her question caught him off guard. Quite!
Trevan eyed her with wide, upshot brows. And he smirked. "Why? Do I give off that vibe?" he countered back, nudging her shoulder and drinking his beer absently. "And no, that's your answer. I'm pretty sure I'm not really attracted to men. They might be attracted to me, but it really isn't reciprocated."
-
Kit swigged back half the beer and muffled a burp, trying to keep it as polite and ladylike as she could. She licked her lips and smirked at him, "So I'm not your type?" She nudged him again, smirking, "like your girls meek and not able to kick your ass?"
-
He shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. Honestly, I never really stopped to think about it. It's always been just me. My job, and my...er hobby." Ew, it felt weird to think of what he did as a hobby. It wasn't like he enjoyed it. It was a necessary evil...one less scum in the world.
"I'm always doing something. There are more important things, right? Everyone in Aedolis is blinded by a wanton pursuit of pleasure... What would I add by being caught up in all of that? And meek and non-ass-kicking girls are a dime a dozen. You're cool, Kit. Really. You are."
-
Kit smirked, giving him an odd look.
"So..." she tilted her head and finished her drink before she put the empty bottle on the table. Kit shuffled down to lay on the floor, fluffing her hair and moving to touch her arm to Trevans knee. "Impotent, eh?" She nudged him with a teasing sleepy smime.
-
Trevan slumped against the cabinets, dropping his half-finished beer on the ground, letting the base clank against the tile. He chuckled, looking at her sidelong. "Why are you so interested?" he asked somewhat slurred. He wasn't drunk, but he was starting to get sleepy from it all.
He pulled a dishrag from the top of the counter and played with it idly, binding it around his left hand like a red bandage.
-
Kit snorted, giving him a sideways glance before she stretched her arms above her head on the floor. Her shirt rode up and exposed some of her belly, but the cool floor felt nice on her skin and she closed her eyes. "Well, you're housing a fugitive," she moved her hands to her face to rest over her eyes.
"You're a weird vigilante. I mean, the only way you're not having sex is if it doesnt work - which is okay, dont have to feel bad about it. Happens to lots of men." She poked his leg with her hand and then wriggled her hand towards his beer, having ever intention of stealing it.
-
Except his hand came up first and he took the beer and drank it selfishly. "You had your own beer." Another loud yawn. Trevan gave her a sleepy smile and finished his beer.
"I don't have any trouble. It's just not the trouble I think about is all. I don't have many...erm, friends, I guess. Sex never really has been on the top of my list," he admitted with a shrug. "Besides you're the one that keeps bringing it up, like it's some front page news."
-
"Hey," Kit started, letting her hand stop groping for his drink, "Me being here is front page news." She sighed and smirked at him, "just seeing how deep down the rabbit hole you've gone." Kit rolled onto her stomach and eyed him for a moment.
"Well," she pat his leg, "let me know before you have guests over, its kinda awkward listening to people rut."
-
"No rutting will be happening any time soon," he laughed, even snorting, drunk mostly with sleep than he was with beer. He didn't drink a whole lot himself.
"Look, this was fun. But I'm going to bed. Wanna come?"
-
Kit snorted and rolled her shoulders, eyes falling closed before and she gave a slow weary nod.
"Help me up?" She whispered, lifting her hands up towards Trev, wiggling her fingers with her wrists limp.
-
Trevan leaned down and gently gripped her wrists, helped her to her feet. He was beat, and after getting his ass kicked, he felt like he could sleep for a week.
"Okay, up and at 'em," he murmured, throwing an arm over her shoulder and heading into his room. He took his shoes off and kicked them aside before throwing himself on the bed and weakly trying to pull the blankets out from beneath him. He crawled into their warmth before rolling the pillow under his head. "I think I need a new mattress...the cushions wearing thin."
-
Kit barked out a laugh, letting herself be pulled up - though he head lolled back and her legs felt noodle-y. Leaning heavily on Trevan, Kit let him flop onto his bed and she flopped down beside him after he figured out his cover situation - Though she remained on top of them. "Your mattress is shit," she confirmed, curling up into a ball facing away, shirt riding up, the metal bits along her spine on display and along the back of her neck.
The one useful thing she'd taken away from Pilot training was the ability to fall asleep quickly, and after her little quip and finding herself mostly comfortable, she was passed out. Breathing soft and even, not giving away how awful her dreams were.
-
Much like Kit, Trevan fell asleep quickly. He never really dreamed much, but his new companion was making all kinds of weird situations much more interesting. So his mind became preoccupied with those, and it was unfortunate he didn't know what kind of dreams Kit had, or what he might have done to assuage them.
Sometime in the night he ended up with his body turned in against hers, face tucked in behind her neck an he was clinging to the warmth of her body, such little that it provided.
-
Kit's eyes snapped open sometime during the night and she froze. Calm. Then she remembered where she was, the hot breath against her neck and she relaxed. Safe. With a friend. Being used as a body pillow. A shaky little breath and she snuggled back a little, let herself under the covers with Trevan gently took his arm and gently pulled it over, curling her fingers around his and pressing the back of his hand to her chest, to feel his hand against her heart.
It had calmed her as a child, to listen to a heartbeat. Maybe he had bad dreams too? Kit drifted off again not long after, breath calm. Heart calm. The hand in hers kept her grounded and she slept peacefully.
-
Eyelids flickered open when he saw the small of hairs along her neck and felt his arm around her body. Trevan didn't panic, and instead just let himself relax against her. Strange to find some one else in his bed, and after a few drinks to have it simply be this.
He wondered if he ought to pull away. She was sleeping like a rock and probably would feel him get up. Slowly he tucked his tucked hand away and he climbed out of bed, tiptoeing into the kitchen to make coffee. Soon the smell of it would drift it's way into the room.
-
The instant Trevan moved, Kit was awake. Training though, kept her eyes closed, kept her breathing even and it wasn't until he'd left and started to brew coffee did she let herself open her eyes. There was no threat, he wasn't coming in with a knife to slit her throat. Slowly she sat up, rubbed her tattooed arm and stretched her hands up.
A slight headache, but nothing terrible.
Soon the withdraws will set in but for now she'd be fine.
Quiet as she made her way to the kitchen, offering him a sheepish smile, "I swear I didn't take advantage of you," much. She vaguely remembered stealing his arm to hug herself with but besides that, nothing weird happened, right? A brief glance to the coffee and she bit her lip, resting against one of the walls, arms folded over her chest. "You're a good guy, Trev," Kit said softly, looking a little woeful, "I'm sorry I'm... I'm sorry that you're a party to my... My treason."
-
"I know," he said with a mirthy look to his eyes. He let the coffee brew for a few seconds, the water boiling rapidly in the convector as he pressed the button just above it. It wasn't the best on the market but for something he bought for five bucks from the trunk of some guy's car it wasn't bad.
"Listen, Kit. Why are you sorry for everything? You say that a lot." He fixed her a hot cup of joe and set it in front of her. "What are you doing back in Haviah anyway? I thought you were trying to get out?"
-
Kit frowned, arms wrapped around herself, fingers digging into her sides. "Because it's my fault. Why shouldn't I apologize?" Her voice was soft and she looked at the cup of coffee before she let her head fall forward and sighed, eyes closed.
"It's difficult getting out," kit gave a humourless laugh, "They own me, Trev and I'm afraid I'd never gotten very buddy buddy with flesh smugglers." Which, for her, was still a very dangerous option. Taking the cup, hands shaking slightly, she brought it to her lips and drank. "Easiest way out is a long walk off a short plank."
-
"So you think that I wasn't going to get into trouble before you came along?" Trevan scoffed, even laughing at her. "You saw what it is that I do, Kit. You know how messy I am. It's only a matter of time I'm caught or kileld by someone else like me. But in the meantime I do what service to the world I can in the only way I know how. I'm not perfect, neither are you. But you certainly didn't cause me any more trouble than I already had coming."
"You wanna get out, huh? Of course, dumb question. But you realize that even with Aedolis' ball-grip on everything, some contraband has got to have a way to get through, yeah? People turn a blind eye when enough credits are deposited their way. Everybody has their hands in the pot. Things go missing or slip out unnoticed all the time. How can your situation be any different?"
-
Kit laughed.
"You need credits to bribe people," She wiggled her hand at him, showing the fresh scar of where she'd dug out the chip. "I didn't plan to go off the grid," she admitted, "Stupid, given how much training I've had. I just... Broke one day. Dug out my chip and ran away." Licking her lips she pulled the cup to her mouth and sighed into it, eyes closing and ducking her head down.
"I should just go turn myself in and be made an example of, executed by the dragons like it was a Prime Time Vid."
-
Trevan rolled his eyes.
"If you had any seriousness about that, I bet you would've done it already. But now we're already criminals in arms, so I don't think that is really an option without someone nosing around my business too. Look, I have an idea that might help you out. But it'll involve getting your hands dirty. We'll find some criminal that has some credits for the taking, and a means of getting out. Like you said, all it takes is greasing the right wheels."
-
Kit stuck her tongue out at Trevan.
"Maybe I just haven't worked up the courage yet," She said softly, looking down at her hands before closing her eyes and sighing loudly. "You're going to turn to banditry for me?" She nudged him with her foot under the table and leaned her head in, jaw resting on her palm. "That's sweet, Trev," a teasing smile and she licked her lips and took a sip of coffee. This was awful.
"I think reality has hit and I'm going to freak out soon," she admitted, closing her eyes against a full body shudder. " I don't know how to exist outside of being a Pilot. They don't train you for anything else."
-
"Sweet but...you saw what I've done. I'm assuming you've done worse during your Pilot training and job doing. I'm just a mechanic, but I fiddle with inventions here and there," he said with a nod to her. "Come here, I'll show you some stuff I've been working on. I don't have fancy psychic powers so I have to use what I make."
He moved toward his bedroom and gestured for her to follow. In his closet he pulled out his backpack and showed the chainblade sword he'd made and it was still speckled here and there with blood. "It gets the job done."
-
Assuming she did worse.
That made Kit feel awful and she let her head fall down and she looked down at her hands. The ragged scar where her chip had been. A deep breath and she let out a heavy sigh, licking her lips. Kit had made a point to not think of her less than pleasant memories that involved her... Life. Deep breaths.
Kit followed when she was gestured to and she rubbed her chest after a moment and stared wide-eyed at the odd contraption he'd made. "Oh good Gods," Kid frowned, gave Trev a weary look, "You're not going to saw me in two with that, are you?" A jolt of fear churned in her stomach and she swallowed thickly, realizing that, when it came down to it, pound for pound, he could probably kill her easily enough.
-
"Of course not," he said, shaking his head. "I'm your friend. Why would I do anything like that?"
He set the saw aside and pulled out another contraption that resembled a grappling hook. "The wire brush is steel cord, hard to get but very strong. For the most part. I haven't tried it yet myself though. This is just the prototype."
-
Kit kept her hands to herself.
"Being untrustful was sort of... Beaten into me," She replied honestly, giving a simple shrug. A product of what they'd wanted to create her to be. An untrusting weapon. Kit curled her hands together and blinked at Trevan for a moment, tilting her head and watching him. "Why are you showing me all this? If they find me they're going to tear my brain apart bit by bit. I don't want to sound like an asshole and I know I know too much already but... It's better if I don't know. Or they're going to take you too."
-
Trevan nodded. "I know," he said.
He put away his contraption and saw on the floor of his bedroom. He zipped up his backpack and shoved it away. Showing her these things wasn't going to help him anymore than he could help her with them. Other than attempting to get her out of Aedolis officially, there was always the chance that he would be caught whether or not she was with him.
"You know I've been doing this long before I met you. And I'll probably do it after you're gone as well. I could be killed tomorrow night, or the night before. I could be taken in for questioning because somewhere someone thought my sneeze sounded suspicious."
He shrugged. "So what difference does it make? I'm doomed either way."
-
There was a heavy silence and Kit rubbed her hands together.
"There's a difference between being wanted because you're a criminal and being wanted by the dragons," She whispered, licking her lips, mouth feeling dry. "They'll rip you apart. You'll be... Shreds. And you'll feel all of it." Kit shook her head and pressed her palm to her temple. "Trev, I just... Want you to understand that helping me is a whole different ball game. You doing what we did is much different than you helping me."
A shake of her head, "Would you even survive the axis point? Is that a thing non-psychics can do?" Mostly she was talking to herself and she rubbed her palms together before she moved her hands to her upper arms. "Is it cold in here?" Slowly, it was setting in, how big of a mistake she'd made. How much worse this actually was. "I'm so sorry I got you dragged into this, you deserve a whole lot better."
-
"When are you going to stop feeling sorry for yourself?" he asked, pushing her shoulder. "I get what you're saying. I know what you're trying to do. And I can respect that. I'll tell you what, I'll help you as far as I can go. I can try and help get you a ship, a shuttle at the least, to get you out of Aedolis. There has to be that much that I'm capable of.
"And if not. We can always try, going underground," he muttered.
-
Kit tried to smile at Trev.
"You're sweet," She said briefly before moving in to give his cheek a kiss and leaning back. Kit sighed and looked away, frowning at the floor before she nodded. "I will take any help I can get but..." A look at her arm. The nasty scar. A wiggle of her fingers to indicate that, in the process of removing it she'd lost the ability to move at least her pinky. "I don't have any way of paying you back except for maybe decent company and..." She looked around, "Someone to do your housework."
-
"Yeah, that paying me back bit can be a bit of a problem," Trevan acknowledged. "Say if you're good with your hands, maybe you can help me around the shop. I can tell my boss that you're my, er, old friend. New in town. You can help me on the bikes and other engines when people come by. And it'll earn you money. My boss is a complete asshole, but on the bright side you probably won't have to deal with him all that much."
-
Kit blinked at Trevan, lips parting slightly before she looked down at her hands.
"I'm... Okay, I guess." She was better at fighting. Going and... She hung her head and pressed a hand to her face. This was a mistake. This was all a terrible mistake but... She was off the grid. If she kept her power usage to non-existence or a minimum she'd be able to survive. For now.
Kit reached out with a hand, moving closer to Trevan and cupped his cheek.
"If they find me, you tell them that I controlled you. Do you understand?" Her voice was husky, eyes searching his, "You tell them you felt like you were in control but when you'd go to call authorities you'd just stop moving and forget what you were doing. You tell them that you didn't even realize I was a fugitive until they caught me because I was playing in your head and once I was gone it all came back. Do you understand."
-
He had to admit he was taken back by the contact. And yet he didn't object. Trevan found himself leaning into the touches on his cheek, the cupping more affection than he was used to an he gave her a wide-eyed gaze.
He could see that she was absolutely serious. As much as he wanted to downplay what he did, what she was, and that they were in this together - which they were - she was only doing this to protect him. She had her reasons for getting out, and him being party to it would get him killed... Because the enemy then wouldn't just be gangsters and criminal overdogs, it would the very government itself.
Finally he nodded gravely at her and he tilted his head in toward her hand to kiss the palm of it, a small affection that he could afford to give. "I understand," he promised. "I know you're only doing this to protect me. And...I know the risks involved."
-
Kit closed her eyes - though they quickly snapped open when she felt the kiss to her palm. It was ... Odd. Kit gently pulled her head back from his face, glancing at her palm before she brought her other hand to it to rub the tingling feeling away.
"I'm doing this so you don't get killed," She whispered, "They're good but if I've fucked your head they won't know what's really yours and what's really me. You're a civilian. I'm not. They will kill me, Trev. They were already planning on it," she closed her eyes and took a few steps back until she pressed against a wall.
A glance down at her arm, the thick black lines of her tattoo something to focus on.
"Suspicion of being a Gospel," She whispered, looking at him, tears in her eyes, "I ran away. I'm not one, not brave enough to be one. But I had thoughts. I'd thought of it. And they get into your head and my thoughts would be enough for punishment so... I ran. Dug out my chip." She slowly sank to the ground and pressed her elbows to her knees and her face to her hands.
"I made it worse. They'll find me eventually," she whispered, giving a helpless little shrug, "I... Just don't want you to be killed because of me." She cleared her throat, "I'm not nearly pretty enough to die for," She teased, trying to ease the mood - mostly for herself.
-
"I know what you're saying. Don't get me wrong," he murmured, and wiggled around so that he was sitting next to her, hip to hip. "But I dunno if you noticed. I...kill people. I've killed a lot of people and I don't think that'll go over very smoothly with the people they were working for, Kit. So if they don't get to me first, then the government will."
He shook his head. Suspicion of being a Gospel. Those people that were against the hive mind that the dragons that really controlled this country made. They were evil sure, but they were a kind of evil that everyone was perfectly aware of. They made it clear who was in control, and that every freedom was afforded to them so that the people could remain blissfully ignorant.
"You thought about it? You weren't satisfied with being a Pilot? Or...well, that sounds wrong. I don't mean it like that. Like...you wanted something different for yourself? Would they have killed you solely for that suspicion?"
-
Right.
Trev was a piece of shit Aedolian.
Kit closed her eyes and pressed closer to him where she could. "Everyone has... Thought about it," She whispered, glancing at Trevan, leaning against him. "Just... I thought too much and I was afraid. They'd go into my head and fuck it all up," Kit pressed her palms to her face and sucked in a breath. "I'm a coward. I should have just... I don't know. Maybe? They could. I don't know. I..." Kit sighed, "I'm fucked and not in the fun way."
-
Trevan put an arm up around her shoulders. It was a natural instinct and he could feel the little ridges in her back, the pieces of metal that she complained about on a number of occasions. Trevan carefully avoided them and scooted in closer to her so that he could hold her and have her pressed against his shoulder.
"You're not a fucking coward. You did what you feel like you had to do," he soothed. "And you know what you're not the only one that feels that way. This whole place is fucked up. People are happy to be asleep, to live their little hedonistic dream. There are some that believe they're untouchable. There are some that want to change things but don't know how. I...don't know if what I'm doing will change anything. But they're fucks, and the don't deserve the fucking flesh they're given."
-
A sigh and Kit pressed against his shoulder. Her cheek resting against his arm and her eyes falling closed.
"I could never swallow it," she whispered, voice heavy, "I lived in it. I followed it but it always felt wrong." Kit sighed and turned her face towards Trevan's neck, curling an arm around his middle to pull herself closer into a hug. The contact was comforting in its simplicity and she sighed, breath hot against him. "Why haven't you tried to leave?" she whispered, " why have you stayed?"
-
"Neither could I truth be told. My father was some executive cruiser and he was offed when his girlfriend's mobster lover found out about it. Thought he'd been jibbed. That's all I really know of my parents. I....I don't leave because, maybe, I guess I think whatever I'm doing can make some difference for someone else. I know i'll get caught some day. I know I'll be found and offed," he shrugged and tilted his head into her heated breath.
He shivered, unable to help it really. "But I'm determined at least to help you leave. You've helped me with that last set up. Save my ass. I appreciate it." Trevan squeezed her side to him and relished in the comfort of that hug. He smiled and cupped her face, pushing the hair away. "Kit. You're a wild card, you know that. That's a compliment. Insert cheesy grin here." And flashed her the most awkward smile he could muster.
-
A small sigh, eyes closed.
Kit didn't open them until she felt a hand on her face and her hair pushed away. A wild card. Her lower lip was between her teeth when she looked up at him and she reached a hand up to trace her thumb over his lip. "Pretty cheesy grin," she said softly returning a small one out of sheer... It was just there, pulling at her lips, so why not?
Slowly her hand dropped away and she returned her head to his shoulder in their awkward side hug. It felt... Nice. A soft glow emanated from her, gentle, like her skin was leaking light. A telltale sign of her momentary state. Content and comforted.
-
"Good. I have the cheesiest grins," he chuckled. It was nice. And for once Trevan actually felt like he had a friend. It was so odd to be this close to someone, and he hadn't been in some time. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, wanting to feel more of that closeness but not having real expectations in return.
"Y'know, it was kind nice. This morning. With the spooning," he chuckled.
-
"Contact can be nice," she said softly, eyes falling closed. Faintly glowing still, Kit sighed and looked at him. "What was that?" She said, eye cracking open. " feeling touchy are we?"
-
Maybe he was. And maybe he was getting a little bit too clingy.
Trevan backed his head away from her to get a better look at her. "Yeah, I think so," he chuckled. "Sorry. I know it's weird. We hardly know each other after all. But I trust you, I think. Yeah, I do."
He shuffled up from where he was, held out a hand to help her stand. "Come on, let's get a beer."
-
When Trevan pulled away, Kit flushed and glanced down. The glow died and she moved a hand to press the backs of her fingers against her cheek. Silly. "You realize where we were raised," She said softly, taking his hand and standing, "Contact is anything but weird." She said before sucking in a breath and nodding and licking her lips.
"I'm game if you are," Her hand smoothed over the back of her neck, the strange half-mullet gone. It wouldn't disguise her but... It would be different. It felt different. "Do you regret much?"
-
He pulled her to her feet and gripped her hand gently, leading her back to the kitchen. There he pulled two more beers out of the fridge, popped hers open and did the same for his own. The beer left a nice ball of gas that he promptly burped out and covered his mouth, flushing red.
"Yeah, it ain't weird, like it's weird. It's just...hm, y'know, not something I do all the time. And I don't want you to feel like your obligated to touch me or anything. You're a guest in m home. You're my friend. Right? We're friends. I don't have a lot of those," he flushed a little more and drank another sip.
"I... Now you're asking the hard questions. Yeah. I guess there is a lot I do regret, but I mean, what good does that do? I can't go back in time. I guess, if I do have one thing I wish I could change it would be knowing my parents a little better. Wondering it would be like to grow up normal. You?"
-
At least he was comfortable.
Kit smiled at him, head tilted. A long look at her hand before she flexed the fingers and sighed softly. Such a rash decision made during a moment of fear. Now here she was. Ready to get killed by the very people who built who she was.
The beer was taken and she guzzled back half of it eagerly. Eyes on Trevan. Kit licked her lips and rested the butt of the bottlw against her hip. "Nothing," she said simply, "the choices I made were for me. Instead of... instead of the greater good." She looked at the scar on her arm and flexed her fingers again.
"Trev," she said softly, moving to lean against the table and putting the beer down. "Would you be who you are today if you knew your parents better? Or would you just be an entertained cog in the dragon clock?"
-
A question he'd considered himself on a number of occasions.
And the answer was always the same.
"I don't think I would have been better off than anyone else," he shrugged. "I guess I would be pretty different, wantonly throwing myself at any person that would have me. I don't think I'd care enough about anything to want much out of life. And maybe I don't really execpt much now, but I guess I just hope that whatever I'm doing can make a difference for someone else."
Trevan moved to stand beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "You're all right Kitters."
-
Kit gave a dry laugh and guzzled back her beer.
"You really believe you can make a difference?" She said softly, gave a bark of a laugh. A smirk and she shook her head, shrugging Trevan's hand off her shoulder. "You're kidding yourself. You're just... Fodder to make the outside look bad. Just like I am. We're nothing but faces to splatter somewhere because if you trust the dragons and you trust the Pilots, people like us won't get them." Kit sighed and looked away, arms folded over her chest.
"This place is bullshit. You think I wanted to be a Pilot? It was either be a Pilot or die. Even now. I made my choice and now my only option is that. Death. I have nothing else waiting for me. Just like you don't." She glowered down at her chest, frowning at the tanktop and counting the tiny bits of string she saw that wove the fabric together. That's all they were. Little strings.
-
Damn straight this place was just fucking bullshit. Trevan didn't live here because he wanted to. He stayed here because he didn't have anywhere else to go. Money was tight, and even bribing the right people was no guarantee that you were gong to get out.
Nothing in this life was free. And sooner or later everyone paid the price.
"I don't trust anybody," he said, lowering his head. Her statement was valid however. What the hell in this life was worth fighting for then? Worthy of dying for? A planet? An ideal? Those didn't exist anymore. There was nothing substantial to cling to. And maybe he killed because he didn't have anything better to do with himself.
Or maybe he killed because he'd rather be taken down in a fight than letting himself slowly decay in the cultural wasteland that was Aedolis.
"I don't care," he admitted, though another sip of beer. "I don't care if death is all that's there for me. I'd rather go down killing gangsters and corporate goons. I dunno if I'm making a difference. And frankly it doesn't matter. It's better than sitting on my ass, moping about my shit life."
Trevan took in another deep swig and set his beer down. "So, Kit. We've a bike of yours to fix, don't we?"
-
Christopher was a stubborn woman.
Well trained. A government made killer. Chewing on her lip, she listened to Trevan speak before she closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "The bike?" she finally asked, eyebrows upwards. A confused look on her face before she remembered. Ah yes. Kit shook her head softly before she glanced off to the side and closed her eyes. "Do you want to do away with me that badly?" she teased, tilting her head and looking at him, a smirk on her face, "Coulda just told me so."
-
"I want you to have a means of getting away if you have to. And well, that bike does need fixing. It'd be doing it a great disservice by leaving it all in shambles like it is," he said, nodding heavily. Another sip of beer and he slipped around to take her hand. "Okay I'm going to take a shower. You can join me if you want. But then we go down to the shop to get our hands dirty, okay? Sounds like a good plan to you?"
-
Kit felt her heart thump in her throat.
"Shower," she said, lips hanging open. "Join you?" She cleared her throat and chewed on her lower lip, "Do you need to save water?" The rest of the sentence was lost in her head and she just... stared at him. "Or do you want some help scrubbing your back?"
-
Trevan's fingers were loosely lung in hers. He didn't yank her, nor did he let her go.
"Hmm, both," he murmured. His expression, however, was completely serious, and he gave another tug of her hand. "Water's rationed, don't you know that?" He winked at her.
The offer was on the table, and by the time Trevan go into the bathroom, he tugged whatever clothing he had on off his body, letting it slip to the floor.
-
A few blinks and she looked down at their hand.
Bad idea?
Kit let herself be tugged along though their fingers slipped away before he made it to the bathroom, flushed. Confused. The beer made her face feel fuzzy and she pushed her hands through her short hair before she moved closer. Kit followed him quickly enough, her hand slipping in from behind him to smooth her palm over his chest before she guided his hand to the bottom of her shirt. "Well, if water's rationed, help a girl out?" she moved to lean against the counter to look at him.
-
Trevan had made the offer, and honestly had no expectations. Whether she wished to take him up on it, was entirely up to her. And when she did, he stood there, stilled in the flickering bathroom light. He really needed to get that fixed.
"You're my guest after all. It'd be an honor," he snorted. His eyes stayed steady on hers and he reached down to pry up the cloth of her shirt. He gave it a few tugs and soon it was on the ground, pooled at her feet. His hands stayed on her shoulders, and only when he leaned in to peck lips to her cheek did his left fall to her waist.
"You've got way too many layers on, Kit," he sighed, tilting his head to catch the corner of her mouth, that lowered hand pushing at her pants and what a bother they were.
-
Kit looked up at the lights, blinking at them for a moment before she lifted her arms so Trevan could remove the shirt. Then the only thing she was wearing on her chest and shoulders was her tattoo. Kit shuddered out a breath before she moved her hands over her modest breasts, hands sliding down to catch his wrists and then move up to his shoulders.
"Too many?" she breathed, feeling his hand pushing at the pants. Her own went down and she pushed them down, caught at her thighs. Kit turned into the kiss, curling her arms around his neck, pressing her chest to his. A faint glow lifted off of her while she stepped on her pants to pull them down her legs and once they were off, she kicked them aside. "The floor?" she panted against his lips taking his hands and putting them behind so she could grind up against him.
-
Trevan didn't know if it was the beer that made the room stop spinning at that moment, or the fact that he was turning the heat on for the shower just with a flip of the switch and within a few minutes it would warm up, or the knowledge -however distant - that he would end up deaad by the end of all this. The thought of dying horribly and rather violently was a bit of turn off.
And beneath it all, the thrill was apparent in his stance, a rather impatient making its way up her thigh when she ground against him. Trevan's breath hitched, when her hands wound thier way around his shoulders. That heavy grind and he whimpered into that kiss, meeting her lips with need.
"Why the floor? The shower is waaaaay more relaxing," he panted lightly, pressing his face agianst her cheek and directing them into the tub, pulling the glass door shut. He shifted so that the knob was behind him, and an arm behind his back pulled it open and he yelped loudly when that rush of water flushed down his back. Still ice cold.
-
The idea of having a horrible death had been ever present in Kit's mind. She was a Pilot. Had been a Pilot. If you didn't retire out of it, you died a Pilot. There was no third option. A little tilt of her head and she just smiled at him slightly, an eyebrow quirked up before she pulled away and looked at him while he spoke. Tried to convince her the shower was better.
Kit let him pull her along to the shower and when he finally went in... Kit let her head tip back but the laugh bubbled out of her, wincing away the cold water before her hands smoothed up and down his back. "So much more relaxing," She leaned against the cold wall and pulled him closer to her to pull him from the cold water of the shower, "So?" she teased, voice husky and goosebumps clear on her flesh, "Are you? Relaxed?"
-
The shower was better. So much so. And even when the freezing water spooked him, it only served to make Trevan even warmer than the current state of affairs. He hissed, a little, although it was more at himself than anything else. Her hands smoothing up his back certainly helped ease him into a soothing chill and he visibly shivered into her touch just a little more.
"Oh yeah, Kit," he chuckled, forcing himself to relax. Trevan sighed and rested his head against her forehead. "Way more relaxing than the floor. Nobody needs that hard thing pressing into their back." His lips found hers, kissing deeply and finding the action easier the more he did it. Hands smoothed down her sides, fingers finding the curvature of her hips, slipping around them and digging into the muscles there.
"What about you?" he murmured, pulling his lips but a hair away, shifting them around once the water got warm enough so that it could pour down over the both of them.
-
Kit chuckled and her fingers squeezed his arms. A brief look at at him, her fingers moved up his neck and she cupped his cheek. The kiss was a surprising surprise. The water was plastering hair to their cheeks and Kit pressed into the kiss. A jolt made her insides sizzle.
"I wanted that hard thing pressed into my back," she whispered against his lips, refering to the floor. Kit closed her eyes for the warm water of the shower before she pushed her finferd through his wet hair. "Trevan," she breathed, eyes closed before pressing a kiss to his neck.
"We don't have to do anything but shower," her voice was soft before she pulled away to look at him. Water dripping down her, the cool air at her back causing shivers and goosebumps.
"You seem shy."
-
Trevan blinked because she was saying words and none of them were quite registering. His eyes were kind of glued to the way water was cascading down her body. Sure the water wasn't going to last forever, so it was best not to squander it, but realistically he could have stood there forever and just watched her, the tips of his fingers twitched and he stepped in closer.
No words needed to be said, letting this twitching fingers finding their way down her sides, toward the muscles of her abdomen. To think that underneath all of that soft skin was something equally soft and squishy. She was a Pilot - or an ex-Pilot - if that was at all possible. And she was among what could be considered the best of the best - but it was too much.
Trevan gripped her hips, letting his fingers make white marks where he pressed deep into her flesh and he pulled her closer, kissing her powerfully, feeling his heart pick up the pace. Knocking against his ribcage like an animal locked in a cage. Soon his arms found his way around her and he pressed inward, blood surging southward, his swelling pressing against her hip.
"You were saying?" he panted, shifting around so that he could press her back against the wall, his hands reaching down to grasp her thighs and hoist her up onto his hips.
-
It was a surprisingly display of power. The last thing she expected from the man was to be pressed to a wall and moved. A surge of heat sizzled along her skin and Kit moaned softly, trying to ignore how cold the side of the shower was. Tried to ignore the tingling from the metal ports in her skin. Kit went up easy, her legs curled around his hips and she gave into the kiss. It felt... Mechanical.
Not to say she wasn't into it. She relished in the feeling of another body against hers. A fundamental way to feel alive when she felt like she had nothing else. Her fingers pushed into his hair and she leaned forward for a kiss, breath hotter than the water. "I dunno," she panted, a soft glow emanating from her flesh as her eagerness grew. It wasn't harsh, barely there.
Just a soft glow. "Still seem a little shy to me," her hands moved to his shoulders and she looked down at the floor of the shower, "Got good footing?" She teased, biting her lip and letting her eyes fall closed while she resisted wriggling away and just throwing him down and taking what she wanted. Kit could pretend to play nice though, "Because I guarantee we're gonna slip and fall. One of us is gonna get a bruise and the other one is gonna have to make it up to them," Her teeth caught his lower lip before she pressed another kiss and finally pulled away, smirking.
-
"Oh the best footing. I've got so much footing, I'd only really need one foot to stand on. But then again that'd make for awkward walking and since I got the two feet anyway," Trevan panted. Already his blood was running hot and his breathing heavy, chest heaving with each motion. "But you have good ideas. We're not gonna get very clean. Let's get dirty first."
Trevan moaned a little when she caught his lower lip, letting her slip down and move away from him. Trevan's eyes remained hooded, half and heavy as she slipped out of the shower. The water continued to pour down, and his hand reached out to slap the valve shut. "You okay?"
Eyes flicked to those metal ports, and as he shifted out of the shower, stepping closer to him, already his skin chilled with an array of goosebumps. He shivered and he wrapped his arms around her back, hugging her close, pressing his face in against her neck. "What's the matter?" he whispered.
-
What's the matter.
Kit smiled softly, eyebrows drawing together before she moved her hands to cup his cheeks and pull his face to hers before she pressed a wet kiss to his lips again. The water was going cold and her skin was goosebumps. The kiss, didn't stop though, she moved closer. Her movements turned harsh and she took his hand to her back before she finally pulled away enough. "Do you feel those?" She whispered, guiding his hand over the ports at her spine, drawing it up until the base of her neck.
Gently, her hands returned to his face and she pushed his hair back. A quiet gaze to look at him before she pressed her forehead to his and let out a heavy breath, "I'm just afraid of being... Weird," she whispered, looking down at herself. Naked. Dripping wet. Her hands moved to her breasts before up and through her hair and she looked passed him again, "And I really don't want you to fall." A glance away before she puffed out her cheeks, moving her hands to his hips to pull him close enough that their fronts were plastered together. "I glow. Just so you know. And I'm made of stamina, so don't feel bad if you get tired." Another tilt of her head and she closed her eyes and gave herself a wiggle.
"So. Bedroom or bathroom," She teased, fingers drifting up and down his sides.
-
Trevan felt strangely vulnerable. The buzz from the beer was fading and out of the shower now left him cold and shivering.
The only warmth available came from Kit, and he felt himself drawn to it. A step closer and he leaned into that heated kiss. Trevan shivered and his breath hitched, stomach lurching at the heady buzzing that now came from something other than beer. He didn't know what he was missing, how much he craved that touch.
And somewhere deep inside he was glad it was from Kit.
"Just...kiss me again," he breathed. Trevan closed his eyes and his hands reached up to cup her face, tilting enough to deepen it from that angle, and tasting the hollows of her mouth. That admission gave him another shiver. "I'm scared too." The words were startling even to him. "But I don't feel as scared when I'm with you."
He guided them out of the bathroom, plastering her with kisses and shifting so that he could sit once they reached the bed, letting his mouth drag down along her throat, lingering at whatever sweet spots he found.
-
It was an easy instruction to follow.
Kit kissed Trevan for all she was worth because maybe, just maybe this would be one of the last warm moments she had. Any time now, either of them could be cold and dead and there wasn't a damn thing they could do about it. His admission of being scared had her lean back and look at him, a gentle kiss to the forehead and she nodded.
She was scared too. Scared to the core of her being. Did she regret her choice? Oh yes.
Kit regretted it every single day. Remembered what a fool she was when she went to make a fist and two fingers didn't work. "I'm here," She whispered, slipping back on the bed and dragging him up and over here, "I'll be right here with you." And she kissed his chin, and guided him into her embrace.
It was a different kind of love making for Kit. Every time had been scratching an itch but this was a needed embrace. A thing to feel alive. Some small part of her world that she could control if only for a moment. The crest was followed by a whimper and the Pilot literally glowing. The light around her excited as she'd been and she lay on the bed, panting and staring at the ceiling naked as a jay bird. Her fingers playing with Trevan's hair.
"I don't think I should stay here with you much longer," She whispered, still looking at the ceiling, making patterns with the dots.
-
In that steaming aftermath, Trevan stretched out beside her. The darkness out stretched it's fingers in the speckled popcorn ceiling. He remembered hating it when he first moved in. The spiders that got squashed in it always got stuck and were difficult to remove. If he was ambitious enough to change it, it would have cost more credits than he made in a year.
He was talented enough with an engine to keep a steady job. And even if his boss underpaid him, the work flow kept piling up. And there he was at the ready to do what needed to be done.
Until now. Just how much longer could any of this go on? He didn't even care. And that disconnection was what scared him. The reason he'd gotten into all of this was to do something. Something no one else seemed to care about doing.
"Maybe...maybe that's for the best," Trevan quietly agreed. He'd promised to help her. But maybe really she was helping him. And mitigating that risk, however small, was one more life saved. One more life out of this hellhole. "We'll fix your bike. And if you need to leave. At last you have that to get away."
-
Kit turned her head and pressed her lips to Trevans forehead, nuzzling into his hair and curling her arm over him.
"For tonight though. Hold me?" Her voice was a whisper and she closed her eyes, tucking a leg between his knees and pressing her face against his chest. "We can worry about the details tomorrow. Just... Sleep with me tonight." Kit leaned back, glow dimming while she snuggled into the pillow and drew her fingers up and down Trevans side.
-
The inevitability of tomorrow did arrive. The dim kitchen light fixtures poured in from the hallway. Trevan's eyes opened and a hollow panic set in. Because the body he'd remembered falling asleep with wasn't there, the bed was empty and cold. He knew why she had to go. Nothing like that could have lasted forever, nor ended well.
Kit was chipless, two fingers on her hand didn't even move, and his own itched at the ache it made in his wrist. It was better this way.
"Be safe, Kit. Whatever that's worth to you. Please," he breathed out softly, and buried his face in his hands.