Kill A Man: Eighteen (IC)

[Gizmo]

Trevor murmured a quiet agreement as he observed the city around them. Some of the rhythms of the evening bustle were familiar, some markedly different, rich with Dakana's signature blend of innovation and tradition. It was easy to feel like Freedom City was the center of the world sometimes, but the young mystery man was beginning to realize just how little of the world he'd really seen for himself. "Glad we came."

[Electra]

Erin drove for awhile through the streets, gradually relaxing when it became clear she wasn't about to lay the bike out or send it hurtling into a building. They move away from the lights of downtown and into a more industrial area, where the streets were a bit wider, for all they were darker. "It reminds me a little bit of Freedom City," Erin mused as the bike moved silently through the night, its headlights playing over cars and buildings... and a mugging that was taking place in an alleyway. "In a lot of ways," she added, slowing the bike. "Want to?"

[Gizmo]

"Naturally," Trevor replied as a wave of his arm sent a roiling wave of midnight mist sweeping through the alleyway, blotting out the city's lights and concealing them from the petty thug. As the mugger stumbled backward from his victim in surprise, casting blindly about, the young man on the back of the Night Cycle gave Erin a shallow bow, offering her the first attack in a vaguely predatory show of affection.

[Electra]

Erin slipped on the glasses he'd given her, grinning as the world suddenly came into sharper focus, even through the mist. Leaping into the darkness, she closed with the mugger without making a sound, until suddenly she was pinning his arms to his sides so firmly that he could only wriggle helplessly like a trapped rabbit while his intended victim stopped cowering long enough to stumble away to safety. "Bad day to be a bad guy in Dakana," she murmured, then literally tossed him in Trevor's direction, lightly enough to only disorient him further.

[Gizmo]

In the mere moments it had taken Erin to close the distance and restrain the mugger, Trevor had retrieved a pair of restraints from one of the Night Cycle's compartments. In one smooth movement, the concealed youth used the flung man's own momentum to close the cuff over one of his wrists before dragging him about and cuffing the other arm along side the first behind the man's back. An abrupt, twisting kick sent the disoriented criminal back the way he'd come to bounce painfully off of the alleyway wall and collapse in an unconscious heap as the midnight mist cloud continued to drift outward from the scene.

[Electra]

Enjoying the novelty of unrestricted sight even in the middle of the mist, Erin took the time to prop the mugger up against the wall before returning to the Night Cycle. She'd have called the police if this were Freedom City, but she had no idea how to contact Dakanan authorities, so the next best thing was to make sure the hapless mugger didn't get run over by a delivery truck. The victim was long gone, so she didn't worry too much about that. "Nicely done," she told Trevor with a small grin, removing the shades and tucking them away again. "And nice glasses. They worked perfectly." She climbed onto the back of the motorcycle this time, ready to let him take the driver's seat again.

[Gizmo]

Sliding forward of the bike to make room for Erin and leaning back over the handlebars, Trevor allowed himself a small, satisfied smile as he thumbed the activation stud of a transponder that would send to unconscious mugger's coordinates to a member of M'balla's security staff. As much leeway as the visiting students had been given, there was no reason not to afford their host every respect in that regard. The pair drove back out of the dissipating cloud of midnight mist, leaving any outside observers terribly confused, and Trevor glanced back over his shoulder for a brief moment. "Of course."

[Electra]

That drew a laugh from Erin as she wrapped her arms around Trevor's waist for the trip back up the mountain. No one would ever accuse Trevor of not being sure of what he was good at. And one of those things was definitely driving. It had been fun to drive herself, but he could handle the Night Cycle the way it was meant to be driven. "Open it up," she suggested, then turned her head to lay her cheek against the back of his shoulder, her body pressed snugly up against his back. It felt comfortable and made her nervy all at once, but that was a sensation she was getting used to by now.

[Gizmo]

A grin pulled Trevor's lips back from teeth that gleamed dimly in the city's lights at the sound of Erin's laugh and the feeling of her presence close behind him. "Well, since it is you birthday..." he drawled wryly as he leaned forward slightly and pour on the speed, the Night Cycle practically reacting to his intent as much as his deft hands on the controls. If perhaps the young man was showing off a little more than he normally would, well, it was a special occasion after all.

[Electra]

Erin laughed and hung on tight as they tore through the quiet of the night and back up towards the palace. The scenery was a blur around them, the lights of the city smears of color as the engine purred and the wind whipped. "This has been the best birthday ever," she told him, head still nestled comfortably on his shoulder. "Makes up for all the ones I missed these past few years, and then some. Thanks." There was much more to say, but she figured he understood.

[Gizmo]

Heart pounding in a way that had nothing to do with the speed of the Night Cycle, Trevor craned his neck slightly to brush against the top of Erin's auburn hair, any chill in the night air warded off by the warmth of the young woman pressed against the back of his silk dress shirt. Relief that the evening had gone over well made him realize just how integral her happiness had become to his own. He didn't mind.

[Electra]

The Night Cycle was distinctive enough that its occupants were waved through the gate without question, letting them return to the spot where they'd started, where Erin leapt them back to the balcony. She overshot by one on the first try, but luckily whoever owned that balcony was asleep and didn't notice the silent invasion. Another quick jump brought them back to the half-melted candles and a meal still keeping warm in the chafing dishes. Erin was pleased to see that her dress was still in fairly good shape, given the rough treatment of the riding and fighting she'd done. "It's getting late," she murmured a little wistfully, looking at the guttering candles. "And we've had a long day. Are you tired?" she asked him.

[Gizmo]

Trevor offered Erin a small smile, wondering briefly to himself how the slight muss of the ride and fight made her all the more attractive. "Nah. Dakanans know their coffee," he explained, retrieving the remote he'd used to launch the quietly floating lanterns earlier in the evening. "Besides, one last surprise." The press of a button caused soft music to play from the glowing, daka crystal-powered orbs, slowing rising to a more audible volume. Extending a hand, the dark haired youth's smile took on a lopsided quality. "Lady should always get to go dancing on her birthday. S'rule."

[Electra]

Erin looked around at the lanterns and grinned, shaking her head a little at Trevor's continuing ingenuity. Talking with Alex last night had helped, but maybe what she really should keep in mind was that Midnight was always operating two or three well-prepared steps ahead of everybody else, whether it was on a date or in a fight. That had to count for something when it came to his chances of staying safe and unharmed. It was also really nice in a lot of other ways.

Taking his hand, she stepped into his arms with an ease that wouldn't have been there even just a few weeks ago. "Well, I guess we should obey the rules," she murmured, "seeing as how it's an important night." With her in heels, they stood eye to eye, which might also have been an intimidating prospect weeks or months ago. The eyes had taken some getting used to, but now they just seemed like part of him, and she could read his expressions better now than when they'd been brown and white. "Good call on the slow song, though. Trying to swing dance here would be just asking somebody to go over the railing again," she joked.

[Gizmo]

Twining his long, lean fingers through Erin's as she stepped closer, Trevor slipped his free arm around her waist, pulling her toward him with a smoothness that dimly surprised the stoic young man as he met her dark brown eyes, his own metahuman orbs overlaying a ethereal aura of body heat that illuminated her features even in the dim light of the floating lanterns and low candles. Normally he wasn't much of a fan of slow dancing, seeing it as more an excuse to stand close to your partner than anything, but recently he'd begun to see the appeal. Realizing something else Erin's heels made easier to do, he tilted his head to one side slightly and leaned forward to kiss her lightly.

[Electra]

She returned the kiss just as lightly, the music and the candlelight creating a dreamy, romance-novel atmosphere that made her mind fuzzy in a much more pleasant way than Alex's drinking binge had. For a moment, it was like stepping out of her own life into one much nicer, a fantasy of being grown-up and in love, dancing on the terrace of an exotic palace in the moonlight. Giving in to the feeling, she continued and deepened the kiss, sliding one hand up into Trevor's hair. He smelled of shampoo and chocolate and faintly of motor oil, an appealing combination that she thought suited him perfectly. Thoughts about the future and saving the world melted away, leaving just the two of them for this one perfect moment.

[Gizmo]

Instinctively, Trevor wrapped his arm more tightly around Erin's waist as she leaned into the kiss, closing his eyes as he did to focus of the warmth of her lips on his own, the touch of her fingers in his hair, the closeness of her heartbeat. For a while, the flush of uncharacteristically strong emotions the young woman brought out in him had concerned the introspective vigilante, worried he was opening himself up to a potentially devastating weakness. More and more, however, it felt like a well of steady strength he could draw from.

[Electra]

They danced on the terrace until the candles died and the long day began to catch up. Erin insisted on taking the cake back to her room with her, but the rest of the dinner was left behind, nothing more than nice memories. Outside her room, she leaned in and kissed Trevor one more time, resting her fingertips lightly against his cheek. "It was an amazing night," she told him. "Thank you so much." She slipped into her own room, dodging the sleeping Alex, and got ready for bed with the brisk efficiency of someone used to dressing quickly in the dark. Sliding into the gigantic bed, she looked towards the window and fell asleep with a smile on her face.