Night Falls & Stars Shine (OPEN)

[Kevala Katashi]

Sleep?

The concept of it seemed like a long forgotten dream to Kevala. She had not slept since Mischa had gone away. Ever since they had moved here, back to the States, it seemed that her and her lovely wife spent more time apart than they did together...A thought that both perplexed and irritated Kevala down to her very core. Irritated her not so much because of her wife's suddenly busy schedule that so often kept her out of the country, but because of her own inability to handle being alone for such long periods of time.

At first, she had done so well, had managed to push away every attempt made upon her and not even think twice about it. But now, as time wore on, she was growing weaker. All too well she knew just how bad she could get, how many times she could step outside of the sanctity of marriage and with how many people. For now, it was just one, but if this period of separation continued, she didn't know how much that number would grow.

She wished, beyond anything else, that she could be the kind to realize her short comings and cease such lewd activity, but it was not in her to do so. It was just not who she was, and that was what irritated her more than anything else on this planet....

Well perhaps not as much as bubbly, happy, blond people....But close! Very close!

Those blond people she was pretty sure were the devil in disguise, out to suck out the remaining portions of her soul and sentence her to a life in the fires of hell...if such a place even existed. She wasn't sure. A little nod given to the thought, her mind so easily distracted as she stuffed her hands into the pocket of the hoodie that she wore and continued down the darkened sidewalk she currently found herself on.

She had been out for a run, as was her usual cure for sleepless nights. A pair of black yoga pants and the fact that her hair was in a ponytail clue to that, along with the fact that she was wearing her contacts instead of her glasses which was her usual choice once the sun set. Her sneakers, another clear sign she was out exercising, since she usually wore dress shoes or combat boots, softly thudding against the concrete as she made her way down the street...keeping to the shadows as much as possible.

It was one of those nights where she found her mood less than savory, though that wasn't uncommon when she had not slept in a couple days and she had not "fed" in at least a week. Yes, she was bitchy, and for Kevala that usually meant fit to kill. Icy hues peering out from beneath the hood of her jacket, watching the shadows of every alleyway and waiting for some random street punk to jump out and attempt something on the seemingly helpless, defenseless woman who was so small and fragile looking.

It was always the same things. Rob her, kill her or fuck her....Not always in that order, but sometimes...The result of their attempts always the same. Them dead in an alley with their throats slit by the silver blades that were tucked into the back of her pants, concealed by the jacket she currently wore. However lately, she had found that it was necessary to change neighborhoods, since the little punks of her usual neighborhood were starting to catch on.

Turning the corner she would glance down the street, seeing if there was anyone else occupying it at this time of night, or if she was as alone as she currently believed and felt herself to be....Finding herself moving further and further away from home and not seeming to mind in the slightest.....

[Alek]

The night sky seemed to agree with Kevala's mood, reflecting her dark nature with its own dark heaviness. It was still, a very quiet night, as if the world itself was pausing, holding its breath in anticipation of what was to come.

In that deep stillness, Kevala would hear almsot nothing at all. No ambient sounds of distant conversations, no car horns, no birds or bats or other creatures of the night. It was silent. Deadly silent.

All save for one, single, repeated sound: The metallic ring of a coin being flicked into the air, over and over. If she were to look in the direction of the noise, she would see him; the boy from school only days before. He was dressed as before, tight-fitting jeans and a chest-hugging leather jacket, only this time a black fedora topped the ensemble as well. He made no move to speak or approach her as she ran. No, instead, he merely grinned and chuckled as she ran by.

He knew that she had noticed him. He knew that she would recognize him. And, above all, he knew that she would be far too curious about him to just let this opportunity pass itself by.

After all, that's what he would do, too.

[Kevala Katashi]

The silence should have been unsettling. It should have given her pause...and yet as she ran, she thought of nothing else but the way the wind felt against her flesh and the way her muscles burned with each step she took. How long had she been at it now? At least an hour or more, having long ago learned that she never felt truly alive until she was pushing herself past the limit, until she was bordering on collapsing from exhaustion. Only then would she truly be able to relax, and that point was still so very far away.

Though aside from the soft thud of her sneakers against the ground, there would come another sound to draw her from her silent thoughts. A metallic cling that resembled that of a coin and was enough to draw her icy hues toward it. Instantly she recognized the figure, and curiosity began to spike within her. She had only met the boy briefly at the school the day before, and though they had spoken only a few words to one another, he had proved to interest her almost instantly.

Still, she thought that it was best to keep going, wanting to just lose herself in her own thoughts and escape the negativity that followed her. However, a few steps later, she found her curiosity, as always, too strong to ignore. Her steps slowing until finally she would come to a stop. "Fancy seeing you here..." Heavy southern accent purred from her lips as she would pant softly to try and capture her breath. Icy hues, still concealed beneath her hood, fixated upon him as she bent over just slightly to grasp her thighs, just above her knees, to try and force the air down into her lungs a bit more easily.

[Alek]

"Quite a coincidence, isn't it?" he'd agree, tipping his fedora up a bit to get a better look at the woman in front of him. Beautiful beyond measure, age not slowing her down in the slightest, he couldn't help but smile at the figure before him. Even in sweats and a ponytail, she managed to exude sex. He would give her a little wink as she leaned over to catch her breath.

"Almost like I knew you'd be heading down this particular street..." he began, pausing a bit to flip the coin into the air and catch it, "...or that I knew you'd be going out for a run tonight..." another pause, another coin flip. "Or that I knew that simply being in your path would spark this conversation."

One more flip of the coin, and this time he'd snatch it out of the air with his other hand in a sweeping gesture. "Fate can be a funny thing, can't it, Mrs. Badoer?"

[Kevala Katashi]

Kevala would arch her brow slightly, pushing herself back up to stand upright as she looked at him and tilted her head. One hand coming up to push her hair back out of her face as she ran her tongue slowly along her lips. "Hmm..." She would allow him to continue speaking as she kept those icy hues trained upon him. She had to admit that the words he spoke had her paranoia spiked, but then that was not a hard thing to do, yet outwardly she kept herself as calm and collected as ever.

Slowly her arms would fold over her chest, just beneath her breasts as she slid her right foot out just a bit, causing her hip to jut out just slightly. "I suppose you could look at it that way. Though for you to know all of that, would mean that you have taken a very unhealthy interest in me...Not that I would complain. It is always nice to have admirers." A little grin curling upon her lips as she ran her gaze along his body, taking in ever inch of his features as he moved closer.

She wasn't sure what to make of this one yet, but something about him seemed very familiar to her and for that she was intrigued beyond most reason...of course, that would mean that she would have to have some sort of reasoning behind anything she did...which she did not. "Please...call me Kevala. I detest being talked to like I am some old hag. Last names are much too formal for my taste." Her lips pursing just slightly, the grin never falling away.

[Alek]

As she spoke, Alek tilted his head to one side, then the other, listening to the words she had to say to him. She stood casually, while he leaned against the wall, his grin matching her own the entire time. He laughed, that same low chuckle, as she mentioned having admirers, and rolled his eyes at the thought. Not so much at the idea of her having admirers, something he was by no means surprised about, or that she enjoyed it. No, he rolled his eyes at the idea of being like all those other simpering fools that rode upon her coattails. Hopefully the woman was observant enough to understand the true meaning of the gesture.

"Who said anything about it being unhealthy?" he asked, eyebrows raising as if to challenge her perceptions on the matter. "My interest could be the best thing to ever happen to you, you know." He smiled, that dark grin that rarely seemed to leave his face, and flipped the coin into the air once more. "Then again, it could all just be a pleasant little twist of fate that brings us here together, after all."

The coin flipped out once more, this time catching it in his other, original hand. He held it up with two fingers, scrutinizing the marks and engravings upon it. She asked him to use her first name, and his attention was brought back to her, shrugging an acceptance. "Ha. I don't think I've ever used a last name in my entire life," he said, chuckling once more. "Kevala it is, then."

Alek pushed himself off of the wall, taking a step or two towards the woman, the look in his eye a mix of curiosity, desire and ambition. His grin faded into a half-smirk as he looked her up and down, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was checking her out. "So which do you believe our meeting is due to, Kevala? Chance?" he offers the coin to look at, a silver Chinese dollar coin, lettering in the native characters on the side facing her. "Or fate?" he flipped the coin to show the other side, an image of the Dragon, her Chinese Zodiac animal. His eyebrows rose slowly as he regarded her, curious as to her reaction.

[Kevala Katashi]

She would not move from her spot, instead allowing icy hues to travel over his figure as her hand came up and brushed back a few locks of hair from her face, tucking them behind her ear softly. Ever so lightly her tongue would brush along her tongue, appreciative of his appearance, loving the way he looked and finding that he fell easily into the category of "her type" if she really had such a thing.

"Now, now...it would seem you are becoming a bit full of yourself. I assure you, that regardless your reasons for being here, this meeting is the best thing to ever happen to you. Not the other way around." A soft chuckle as she shook her head and would slowly move to the side, mirroring his movements, just enough to ensure that she stayed in front of him and at a reasonable distance....for now.

Though her mind was focused on him, eyes would shift to the coin ever now and again, distracted by the shiny texture of it if nothing else. A little grin staying plastered upon her lips as amusement continued to grow. Eventually, she would fall still and allow her eyes to roam over the coin he held out in front of her, noting the symbol on it and arching her brow slightly. "Chance and fate are for fools. Careful planning, timing and precise decisions, those are what life is all about." She practically cooed the words to him, her hand coming up so that her delicate little index finger could tap ever so lightly beneath his chin, hooking just a bit to tug him toward her....Leaning in so that her breath was able to fall over his lips, her scent of honey and vanilla filling the air between them. "And you, Alek do not strike me as a fool.." Purposefully allowing his name to roll of her tongue in a sultry, seductive manner before she would pull her hand away and right herself once more, no longer directly before him, but instead stepping back away from him...Hips swaying slowly and seductively as she retreated...yet her icy hues never wavering from his.

[Alek]

Her initial words would bring his smile up even wider across his face, going from that mischievous smirk to a full-on appreciate, toothy grin. His finger lifted up and pointed at her, before wagging it, fairly condescendingly, towards her in return. "I'm merely stating possibilities, my dear. Now who's sounding full of themselves?" He laughs, giving her a wink that says it all: Maybe sounding full of yourself isn't so bad, after all.

He showed her the coin, which she watched with a sort of curious intensity, until giving her reply, showing off her own ability in counter-play by purposefully dropping his own name, the cooing nature of the words causing him to raise his eyebrows and smirk playfully, wiggling his fingers of his free hand in an ooooooh fashion in response. Even as he was doing so, though, she was finishing her statement, leaving him no choice but to continue the conversation verbally, as well. He did so, tilting his head slightly and quirking an eyebrow, as if considering her words carefully.

"You're wise to believe this meeting was no mere chance, Kevala," he replied, flipping the coin lazily between his knuckles as he spoke, "but you should know that even the best-laid plans rarely survive contact with the enemy. Sometimes, all your planning, timing and decisions can be rendered moot, just..." he stopped flipping the coin, holding it between his middle and ring fingers in a fist, "...like..." he flipped the coin under his fingers into position for another toss, "...that." He tossed the coin into the air, flicking it off his index finger with his thumb.

The coin rang out, flipping end-over-end in the air. As it came down, he snatched it from the air, and planted it against the top of his other hand, holding his hand over top of it to hide what side it landed on from view.

"Perhaps you are right, and chance and fate are for fools... but how boring is it to live every second of your life structured and planned?" That dark, devilish grin crept into his features again, as he regarded her eyes with his own. If any of her sultry seductress act was getting to him, he wasn't showing it just yet.

"Why don't we play a little game, you and I, right now?"

[Kevala Katashi]

Kevala would just chuckle softly and run her tongue slowly along her lips, eyes focused upon his own as she forced herself not to follow the coin any longer, but to instead pay attention to him. He wanted something, that much she was sure of, but as to what that might be, she had no clue just yet. Softly she would reach up, fingers again twirling about a lock of her hair as she shifted her weight once more, that hip again jutting out softly, just enough to be noticed. "I know far too well how plans can fall to the wayside should a single thing which is not predicted comes into play, but that does not mean I am willing to leave my life up to things such as chance and fate. If I did, I am afraid I would not be the woman I am today." That sultry southern tone continuing to roll off her tongue softly as she would shrug and continue to keep her eyes locked upon his own icy hues.

"Ah, but there are so many ways to create fun in one's life. I have found that danger and sex are good methods of having a bit of fun. Though death is also rather pleasurable." Her brow arching slightly, waiting to see if she would gain any reaction from him. She had a feeling that he would respond much like she would, seeing as how everything so far seemed to be a mirror of how she would react to things. But she was not going to venture a guess just yet, just wait and see.

Yet as that coin was again flipped, this time flying into the air and ringing out as it did, she would avert her eyes toward it, following its movements as her index finger of her right hand twitched just slightly. The urge to reach out and snag it rather great. However, she would settle for adjusting those cuffs that she wore about her wrists, the ones that hid her scars from sight. The ones that she was never without.

When it landed upon his hand, he would cover it with the other, and her head would tilt just slightly. She knew the gesture, but it was not until he spoke that she would know what he was up to. "A game? Seems you are a man after my own heart." Chuckling softly as her hand released her cuff about her wrist and moved, along with the other, to fold over her chest. "What exactly did you have in mind handsome?" Curious, of course, just a simple matter of who she was down to the very core....but still, she was cautious, knowing well how these games could end if she was not careful.

[Alek]

As she talked, Alek's eyes narrowed disapprovingly, casting Kevala stern look. "Stop intentionally misinterpreting me, my dear, you're arguing a point that no one's contesting." He gave her a wink and a grin to punctuate it.

She had her own ideas for fun, and he couldn't help but grin at the thought of them. "Why not all three at once? Triple your pleasure, triple your fun!" His face scrunched a bit, as if in thought, before he spoke again. "Though if I'm not mistaken, there's a large amount of chance attributed to each and every one of those, isn't there?"

He shrugged and laughed, far more eager to continue with his game than to argue semantics with the woman. His eyes averted down to his hands, hiding the coin, where they would stay as he spoke.

"The game is simple. Tonight, we leave your life entirely up to chance. If this coin is facing heads, the dragon, we can engage in one of your three favorite methods of blowing off steam. Your choice." His eyes flickered back up to meet hers.

"If it's tails? It's my choice." His grin turned almost feral, more predatory than cheery. "What do you say? Feeling dangerous, Kevala?"

[Kevala Katashi]

She would grin softly at the stern look she got, laughing softly as her finger rose up and tapped him on the end of the nose. "So easy to get on people's nerves..even still." She tsked him softly and would pull away, this time going about looking around the area, listening to him as he spoke, her mind easily becoming distracted.

Kevala didn't pay attention to people usually, at least not on a regular basis, though when he turned his words back to the mention of the game, she would turn to face him, her brow arching slightly as she gave a rather amused smirk. "I think you just want me to be naughty." A little arch of her brow as she chuckled and would turn around, taking a few paces away from him as if debating the game at hand.

To be honest, she thought it sounded like fun, though it was his final words that seemed to seal the deal with her. "I am dangerous." Her head turning to look back over her shoulder, brow arching slightly before she would spin back around and give a gentle little nod. "Very well. I agree to your terms." Her hands clasping together behind her back softly. Icy hues fixated upon him intently.

[Alek]

Her first words brought about just another wink from him. "As you can see, I am, indeed, quite perturbed." He rolled his eyes, understanding all too well how any argument with this woman would end: Painfully. Clearly neither were ever going to even consider the idea that they were wrong about, well, anything.

No, what was far more important to him was the game at hand. He quirked an eyebrow back up at her at her comment, regarding her for a moment with an amused expression. "And you don't want to be?"

She agreed to the game, which brought a bright smile to his face. "Perfect. Then I suppose it's time to see what chance has in store for you..." He lifted his hand just slightly, cupping it over the coin so that he can see, but she could not. He smirked, eyes looking back up at her.

"Well that's interesting..." he said, slowly lifting his hand to reveal the Chinese characters facing up on the coin.

Tails.

"And now, chance has put your fate in my hands, for tonight, anyway," he said, laughing out loud at the thought. "And you said they were for fools."

[Kevala Katashi]

She would arch her brow slightly. Already she could tell that it would do her no good to argue with this one, because regardless what happened, or how wrong either of them was...nobody would admit it. At least not between the two of them. Her hand coming up to free her hair from that ponytail, slipping the tie around her wrist. She knew this was going to be a long night, and therefore felt that she should at least be ready for it, and comfortable.

A brow arching slightly at how happy he seemed to be that she agreed to his game, not entirely sure what the hell she was getting herself into, but interested none the less. Though as he removed his hand, she would turn to look elsewhere, not showing any real heightened interest in the coin, if only to avoid seeming too into this little game. "The night is still young. I will hold to my belief for now." Grinning softly as her icy hues looked up to him, her head tilting slightly.

"So what did you have in mind for me?" Curious all the more now that she was essentially turning her life over to this stranger, if only for one night. Scared? No, not in the slightest, but she was still curious just the same. Her arms folding over her chest as she grinned and stepped closer to him still, now only a foot or so away from him.

[Alek]

Alek pondered silently for a moment, beginning to pace, circling Kevala slowly as he did. "There are so many options, I'm afraid... it's hard to choose just one. What did I have to pick from again? Danger? Sex? Death?"

He stopped, somewhere behind Kevala, leaning forward to place his head on her shoulder, speaking quietly directly into her ear. "Perhaps all three?"

With a malicious snicker, he pulled back away, continuing to pace. One hand was on his chin, rubbing it thoughtfully, the other slid into his pocket. "Any lesser mortal would quickly choose sex, after all, well, just look at you. Any man or woman would be a fool to not be interested in you." His hand goes from his chin, to the back of his head, where he scratches the hair that's poking out from under his hat, before he shrugged.

"Too easy. Danger, perhaps?" He shakes his head, but in a more pondering way than a dismissing one. "Danger is such a nebulous term, though, so many things could be dangerous. Hell, even this little run you're taking down a dark street in this particular area could be considered dangerous- but then again, that's exactly why you chose this street, isn't it?"

He grinned, finally stopping his pacing to cross the street, glancing out into a nearby park. His hand goes up to his forehead, as if blocking out the light from the streetlight, as he peered out at something not too far off. "Of course, sometimes option two must inevitably lead to option three..."

He trails off, knowing full well that Kevala could ascertain the only other option left in the discussion. "But must it?" He turns back around to face her, the smile on his face toothy and malicious in intent. "I say no." His hand beckoned her closer, his index finger pointing at her and then curling back toward himself a few times.

Once she reached him, he would loop an arm around her shoulder, and pull his free hand from his pocket to point out across the park. "This lovely elderly couple shows up here every night when the sun sets, they like to feed the fish and sit together for an hour or two before they go home and go to bed."

He turns to look at her, his icy blue eyes meeting hers in their close proximity. "It's disgusting. Why don't we go give their kids that inheritence just a little bit early, eh?"

[Kevala Katashi]

He began speaking, and at some point, she ceased to hear a word he said. It wasn't him personally, she just had a thing against long, drawn out speeches, or anything similar. Though she would allow him to continue on for a bit before she tsked her tongue and tilted her head to look at him with those icy hues, so full of mischief and slight amusement. "Tell me. Is it your habit to talk so much that it bores your audience to sleep? Or am I just special?"

Her lips pursing, she did not move as he began to prance around her, her arms folding behind her back, fingers flitting across one of the blades she had safely tucked beneath her clothing. Her feet staying spread just enough to maintain a steady balance. "You know very well why I choose this street I believe, so why bother me with such trivial questions. If you have a point, please reach it soon or else I will be forced to be on my way." True, it was not a part of the game as he had set it forth, but that was the beauty of being Kevala Marie Katashi-Badoer....she lived by her rules and could manipulate other's rules to her liking without the slightest shred of guilt.

Yet as he came to a stop, crossing the street and looking out over the park, her arms would fall to her sides, watching him intently and arching a slender brow as his finger crooked in her direction. "I do not know who you have been playing with as of late, but I am not a woman who comes so easily when fingered in such a manner." One foot sliding forward, her stance set in stone. She was not going to cross the street to him, at least not without some sort of incentive...such as a "Please come here" or "Would you mind?". No, Kevala was not one that you simple beckoned and expected to jump at the chance to please.

Though, she had to admit, as he went about laying out the terms of the game, she was intrigued. A small grin curling upon her lips as she looked around him toward the people he was referring to. "Messy or simple? I really have no preference when it come to the elderly. Too often they die of heart failure before I can make them suffer enough." Her lower lip jutting out just a bit, pouting at the thought. Far too often her "victims" died of such a thing. Disappointing really.