Kill A Man: Eighteen (IC)

[Electra]

Erin let him finish talking, then slid the sunglasses on. They were a good fit, snug enough to stay on, but not so tight they'd give her a headache, and they brought the world into startling focus. The dreamy romantic light of the balcony was replaced by the brilliance of a surgical theatre, so that every detail of Trevor and the table were thrown into stark relief. She wondered if this was how he saw the world all the time, or if he could turn it on and off, but now didn't seem like the time to ask. She undid her zirconium earrings and clipped on the deep blue gemstone earrings. They matched the dress and even the necklace like she'd planned to wear them all together, and though she didn't hear anything different, she trusted they'd work as well as the glasses did.

Sliding the glasses down her nose, she looked over them at Trevor. "I really like them," she told him sincerely. "You always seem to have the perfect equipment for the occasion. Even birthdays." She took the glasses off but left the earrings on, dropping the original pair into the padded box. "And you don't have anything to apologize for," she reminded him, reaching out to take his hand. "Yeah, maybe it scared me and I freaked out, but that wasn't your fault. It was Medea's fault. She tried to make me hurt you, and you stopped me. And you stopped her, too. Once I was, you know, myself again, I understood why you and James had to do what you did, and I'm okay with it." She smiled. "Doesn't mean these aren't going to come in handy. They're really cool."

[Gizmo]

Accepting her proffered hands in his own, Trevor let out a quiet breath as he gradually regained his composure. "I-- I'm glad you like them," he told her with a small attempt at a smile. "Know you worry about keeping me... everyone safe, wanted you to know it's mutual." The young man gave her hands a small squeeze. The coolly rational part of him knew that Erin was likely the most formidable hand-to-hand combatant he'd ever known and a crisis-forged survivor, capable of shrugging of tremendous amounts of punishment from the insanely powerful forces they routinely contended with. More and more, however, that part of him had little to do with his feelings when she was nearby.

[Electra]

"That's nice," Erin told him, her expression wry and soft at the same time. "It's nice to have someone worry about me in a fight for something besides how much damage I could end up causing. Not that it's not, you know, a valid concern, but still. Not everything that happens in a fight is getting hit physically. Some of it's bad in different ways. And I mean, I know you're totally capable, and your grandpa was already training you back when I was playing softball and reading Jessica Darling books, but I still worry about you all the time. At least when we're in a fight together, we can watch each other's backs."

[Gizmo]

"Gladly watch your back any day," Trevor promised with a steadier smile, his immaculate deadpan giving the statement an unintended euphemistic quality. He blinked twice slowly as he realized how it had sounded, then shorted softly as he attempted to restrain a laugh before giving in to a series of resonant chuckles. "Not what I meant," he clarified as he recovered, "but still true." More soberly, the dark haired teen added, "Means a lot, having a partner."

[Electra]

Erin laughed even as she blushed at Trevor's unwitting double entendre, and his more amusing reaction to it. She thought about what Alex had alluded to in their conversation the previous night, and decided that just made it funnier. It also made for a situation that would eventually have to be addressed somehow, but she'd put that off a little while longer. "It is good," she agreed. "It's hard to try and get along on your own. And solo patrols are lonely and usually boring. Plus, I don't get to ride on the motorcycle when I'm out by myself," she pointed out with a grin.

[Gizmo]

A bit of inky black colouring touched Trevor's pale cheeks in response to Erin's own blush as he cleared his throat softly with a poorly concealed grin. "Ah, so the real reason comes out," he lamented with mock sorrow, shaking his head slightly. "Only want me for my bike. Alas and alack." The young man gave her a small shrug as he smile widened enough to show teeth. "Granted, more fun to ride with you anyway."

[Electra]

"Hey, I never kept that a secret," Erin protested, her grin widening. "If I'm remembering this right, that's how you got me to go out with you in the first place, offering me a ride on your bike on patrol. Which was a good strategy, I've gotta admit. Between that and working on my truck with you, it's not like I've been hiding my affection for a really well-crafted vehicle. Now if you'd teach me how to actually drive the Night Cycle, that would really be something," she hinted unsubtly.

[Gizmo]

"Don't know if you've heard," Trevor told her conspiratorially, ducking his head down slightly, "but I'm kind of a master strategist like that." Erin was entirely correct in both her recollection and her analysis of his motivations. "Actually... the Cycle is here. Packed in the back of the king's jet just in case." Letting go of one of her hands, he fished a set of keys with a small black remote attached to the ring out of his pocket. "Could have it drive itself over?"

[Electra]

Erin nibbled on a thumbnail, considering the options. A continuation of the once-in-a-lifetime romantic dinner for two, or a ride through the capital city of Dakana on a night when she might be able to persuade Trevor to let her take the handlebars. It wasn't an easy choice. "Do it," she told him with a grin. "But I'm going to eat my cake while we're waiting for it to get here. That way I can, you know, have it and eat it too." She lifted the lid off the cake server. "Maybe we can save some for the rest of the guys later."

[Gizmo]

A fair distance away, a headlight suddenly turned on from inside the cargo bay of the royal jet. As the airfield guards watched, the matte black Night Cycle silently rolled its way down the ramp and toward the palace, advanced satellite positioning and proximity sensors allowing it to maneuver itself easily. It paused at the closed fence until one of M'Balla's bemused men opened the gate for it, mumbling something under his breath about Americans.

On the balcony, Erin lifted the lid to reveal a decadent cake which clearly came from the same kitchen as the cupcake Trevor had presented her with earlier that day. Appearing to be a single layer, it was in fact three slabs of cake interspersed with molten dark chocolate and liberally covered in matching icing and drizzled with a deep red fruit puree. Eighteen candles had been placed in a spiral starting a the edge of the cake and working inward and before Erin could slice into it, Trevor quickly lit them with an accompanying match. "Have to make a wish. Rule," he told her with a wry look.

[Electra]

Erin's eyes got noticeably bigger when she looked at the cake. "Maybe we'll get everyone else a cake to share when we get back to Freedom City," she murmured. "Hmm, a wish. All right..." She waited while Trevor lit the candles, their soft glow playing over her face as she folded her hands and closed her eyes as though praying. After a moment, she opened her eyes and smiled, then blew out all the candles, careful not to blow too hard and actually knock any off the cake. "Okay, let's eat!" Taking the serving set, she cut and served two extremely generous pieces of cake, then dug into her own with a look of pure bliss.

[Gizmo]

Trevor did his best to conceal an amused grin as he accepted his own piece of the cake and began eating with considerably less vigor. He was pleased to see that Erin was enjoying herself; that had been the entire point of the evening after all. Despite his reflexive inclination to evaluate the success of a plan carried out, however, he had to admit to himself that he simply liked seeing her happy, without any logic or rationale attached to it. It took him a few beats to realize that he'd stopped eating for a while and had been resting his head in one hand, watching Erin as a goofy expression spread across his voice. Blinking, he sat up straight and composed himself with a small cough.

[Electra]

She looked up when he coughed and turned her smile on him. "This is so good," she told him. "The cupcake was really sweet and nice, but this... I'm not sure what to call this. It's something more than dessert. It's like a transformative experience, like we were talking about in English class. I don't think I'll be the same after eating this cake." Chuckling at her own effusiveness, she took another bite. "Anyway, good cake. Good dinner. Excellent birthday."

[Gizmo]

"Good," Trevor agreed with a smile which lent unusual warmth to his reserved visage. A a small LED blinked twice on the Night Cycle's remote and the young man rose from his seat to look over the balcony's railing to the ground far below. Sure enough, the matte black vehicle sat patiently at the base of the palatial mountain, only visible to those without metahuman vision thanks to its headlight. Placing one foot on the ornate barrier's first rung, he turned to extend a hand to Erin as she finished her piece of cake. "Your chariot, as it were."

[Electra]

Erin gave him a moment's uncomprehending look before figuring out what he wanted to do. "Guess we're taking the quick way down... nobody better look up my dress." She was wearing bicycle shorts under the dress, she did that as a matter of course these days, but it was more the principle of the thing. Holding onto Trevor securely with one strong arm, she used the other to gather up her skirt and hold it in place. With all those machinations, actually jumping off the balcony was almost an afterthought. Because she wanted to, she gave Trevor a quick kiss on the way down, with the wind whipping crazily around them and the lights of the building smearing into lines with their speed.

Two stories up, she let go of her skirt, bent her legs, and absorbed the force of landing with her body and nothing more than a slight grimace. Brushing the wrinkles from her dress, she took a look around. "Think we'll have any trouble getting off the grounds?"

[Gizmo]

"Be obligated to defend your honour if they did," Trevor told her with intentional wryness as Erin demonstrated her far superior physical prowess. Long auburn hair whipped about his face as the wind streamed though his shorter black locks while the plummeting couple embraced before crashing into the ground, unscathed. "They'd have to catch us," Trevor pointed out as he tossed Erin the Night Cycle's keys and bowed slightly, indicating the nearby motorcycle .

[Electra]

Erin grinned as she fielded the keys, pinning her hair back again with what pins she hadn't lost in the fall as she approached the bike. "My lucky day," she said with great anticipation. "You're going to have to show me how it's done." She'd done enough homework and watched Trevor enough to sit the bike properly and get her hands and legs arranged, at least. She was reasonably sure that she could drive unassisted if she'd needed to, but getting the personal lesson would make sure... and it was more fun.

[Gizmo]

Waiting until Erin had mounted the motorcycle, Trevor deftly swung in behind her. It felt more than a little strange to be the passenger for once, but being next to her always felt right regardless. "Legs there... and there," he instructed softly, gently nudging her knees into place with his own. Leaning forward so that he was looking over her shoulder, he reached out and placed his hands over hers on the handlebars, fingers intertwined. "Good. Start off slow, when you're ready."

[Electra]

After another check, and tugging her skirt securely into place, Erin gave the bike some gas, chuckling as it rolled forward barely fast enough to keep it upright, even with her superlative balance. She gave it another nudge and took it up to about twenty miles per hour, fast enough that the gyroscopic action kicked in and the bike stabilized. "All right, I think I've got it now..." Soon they were cruising at thirty, and though Erin didn't seem to have much trouble with the controls, she was apparently content to take the bike in a wide circle around one of the outbuildings over and over, making absolutely sure that she wasn't going to tip the thing over at speed. "It's working!" she told Trevor, sounding very pleased.

[Gizmo]

Taking his hands off the handlebars, Trevor instead wrapped his arms around Erin's waist and let her control the bike on her own. "Quick study," he commented, impressed that she'd immediately grasped the basics, even if she was taking it slow. He recalled his own less than successful attempts at maintaining his balance with some chagrin. "Want to take her out into the city?"

[Electra]

"Mmm... all right," Erin decided after a moment's consideration. She didn't have to go very fast in the city either, and though the slow ride wasn't as thrilling as the speeds they got when Trevor was steering, the fact that she was the one at the controls had her heart pounding hard enough already. Carefully, she angled towards the gates, which slid open silently even as they approached. They passed through the gates of the palace and on down the hill towards the city, Erin biting her lip and paying all her attention to the road ahead.

[Gizmo]

Leaning against Erin's back, Trevor could feel her metahumanly powerful heart pounding against his chest. For a moment he thought the beat was reverberating through his entire body before realizing that it was his own heart pumping in time with hers, insistently pushing blood thick with midnight mist through his veins. Inhaling, he closed his eyes and focused on the sensation, trusting Erin to maneuver the motorcycle on her own.

[Electra]

As the road leveled out, Erin started feeling braver, and pushed the motorcycle a little faster. She wasn't quite brave enough to go into the city proper yet, and instead veered off to drive on the road that led around the city. Dakanans drove on the right side of the road, thank god, and traffic was not too bad at this late hour. The wind stole the rest of the pins from her hair as she wove between cars, sending her hair tumbling free, and probably straight into Trevor's face. "Sorry," she laughed, the wind stealing her words as quickly as it had her hairpins. "Next time I'll put it up!"

[Gizmo]

Trevor snorted softly as long hair abruptly smacked him in the face, coughing slightly as he maneuvered his head over Erin's shoulder. "Why invulnerable drivers should still wear a helmet," he noted wryly, his odd, quiet inflection next to her ear cutting through the wind as easily as it did a crowded room. He held onto her waist a little more tightly as they gradually picked up speed, the barest hint of a smirk playing at his lips. "Next time, hmm?"

[Electra]

Erin snickered, the noise nearly lost to the wind. "Well yeah, this was sort of improvised. If I'd known we were going riding, I'd have worn pants, too. I'm showing a lot more leg than I planned on when I was getting dressed this evening," Truthfully, Erin's skirt was hiked to not far above her knees, then tucked securely underneath her to prevent blowouts, but it felt like a lot more. "At least it's not cold!" Feeling more courageous, and wanting to see more of the city, Erin slowed the bike and took an exit into the city proper, on the edges of the city center. Even in the evening, the lights were on everywhere and the city was bustling, shining and noisy like any metropolis. "Wow," Erin mused, "I saw it from up there, butI didn't realize it'd be so big."