Losing My Touch [Open]

Crisis got up and followed Kaz into town. Their pace was casual, but brisk, as if they were in no hurry to get anywhere but had too much energy to merely amble. Their tails kept in-step, only paying the crowd enough heed as to not provoke enough offense from anyone they rudely bumped into for an alarming response. That said, they managed to elicit enough incensed remarks that Crisis could tell from sound alone that at least one of them was following behind them. Once the crowd thinned out, their shadows became more brash as there were fewer people to call attention to them, but the rhythm of their footsteps, practically in time with Kaz and Crisis’ own, gave them away easily enough.

After they ducked down the alley, Crisis looked back to watch out for their pursuers while Kaz worked his magic. It wasn’t long before he took her by the hand and dragged her inside the building, closing up the wall behind them. She found herself blushing a little and hoped Kaz hadn’t noticed. It wasn’t like she was some innocent maiden who read too much into off-hand gestures like that. She was no stranger to hand-holding, but it had been a long time since she had last done it and that relationship didn’t end so well. This was far from that kind of hand-holding, and Crisis knew that, but it still made her feel a little awkward.

She didn’t need to be told to be quiet. She barely moved, barely breathed, as she listened to the baffled goons outside. Kaz’s patch wasn’t especially convincing as a brick wall, but the goons may have thought it was just filler to replace damage done to it long before they got there. Either way, it would seem they didn’t think twice about it and walked away disappointed, possibly spreading out to search the area. Once she was sure they were in the clear, though, she let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

“Nice work,” she said. She glanced at the wall they came in through. “I doubt they’re still there, but let’s find a different exit anyway.” She peered around at the dimly lit, at best, room they now occupied. “Where do you think we are, anyway?”

Kaz flashed Crisis a maybe-too-happy grin. He couldn't see her blush in this light, but she hadn't pulled away from him. The fact that they had held hands this long, at least meant that she didn't hate him. Or something like that in his mind. Eventually he released her, though, but purely for the sake of practicality. Kaz had nothing that would light up their path, which meant he was going to stumble in the dim-lit ... whatever this place was. His eyes were starting to adjust though, and he could make out a strange shape in front of him. Some kind of furniture? But very large; much taller than him. Lightly he put his hands over it, feeling cool, smooth wood. It was a giant keg. And behind it, he could spy another.

"A... winery?" He guessed, seeing a few more barrels, and a rack behind them. Kaz was honestly surprised. He hadn't expected them to land in one particular place, but somehow a winery seemed on the strange side. Well, it was very cool and dark, which made sense for the merchandise(?). While there was certainly a good deal of kegs and racks, it could have belonged to a private collector. "Oddly romantic, in a way - I seem to have that kind of luck with you. I'd offer a toast, but that would be stealing, and I'm not sure how much money would be adequate to leave behind as thanks."

Crisis rubbed the hand that Kaz had held with her other hand. It wasn’t that his grip was especially tight, but her cursed sword didn’t seem to like him. It sent a cold pain through the hand, like it had been stabbed by an icicle. Crisis paid it little mind, though. She didn’t let malevolent spirits choose her friends for her.

She stepped into the middle of the room, making clicking sounds with her tongue until her eyes adjusted. It was a bit of an echolocation trick an old blind friend had taught her years ago. She couldn’t quite remember what came of him, and she didn’t want to dwell on it. She wanted to find a light switch and although she could’ve just gone groping along the walls until she found one, it was unlikely to be on the wall bordering the alleyway unless there was an entrance there. If there had been, then they’d’ve made and filled their own hole for no good reason.

Eventually her night vision kicked in and she could see the casks as well. She regarded them disdainfully. “Just as well. I’m not much of a drinker. Never really got the allure of it.”

Kaz turned around, blinking a little in surprise. Well, it was rather silly to judge solely based on appearances, but he thought from her garb that she might be into that kind of thing. He decided to refrain from mentioning that he pretty much spent every free night at a tavern or bar. Not necessarily to get drunk, although that probably did happen more than it should. She also seemed to be avoiding his advances... or was it just that she was clueless? No, when he thought clueless, he certainly thought of Astra... the two weren't much alike.

"Those guys are probably long gone by now, so I can take us out whenever you want," he offered, in case the wine was so distasteful that she couldn't stand to be around it. That, and he didn't want her to feel like she was trapped; that certainly wasn't an intention. But this closed off space, maybe it was an opportunity. "You know, Crisis..." He picked up her hand again, this time clasping it gently. Looking deeply into her eyes, smiling gently (or maybe that's just how he imagined it). "I know that we've only just met, but I've never met anyone like you. You've been all over the world, got this mysterious edge, but I still sense you're a kind person. Does today really have to be the end of our adventure? Can't we continue this and see each other at least one more time?"

Crisis glanced back at Kaz when he said he could get them out whenever. “Well, I wanted to avoid damaging the wall further, but I suppose it’s better than having to explain how to we got into this cellar.”

As she turned to head back the way they came, Kaz decided to make his move. He took her hand in his, effectively stopping her just by getting her attention, and gazed lovingly into her eyes. Well, that’s how she’d remember it, at least. She could tell where this was going, although she was kind of hoping that it wouldn’t. He was definitely making a move. Not a big move, necessarily, at least not as bold a move one could make with an attractive person of their preferred gender while in some strange person’s wine cellar they weren’t supposed to be in without any witnesses, but a significant move nonetheless. It shouldn’t have taken her off guard, if anything she should’ve expected this to come up ever since he took down that pick-pocket, but she found herself lost in the moment nonetheless.

Her mind raced for a reply. She could argue that she hadn’t been all over the world - the continent, at best - but that would simply be pedantic. She could say that she didn’t really feel as though she were a nice person, but it was something she was striving to be, so if someone said she was there was little point in arguing. Mysterious edge? Hell yeah. When you came right down to it, though, once you’ve stripped away the flowery praise, he was just asking her out on a date. No big deal. She’s dated before. Hell, technically they were already on one not moments earlier. There’s literally nothing stopping her from seeing him again; She’s not on some sort of timetable or anything. She could think of no reason to reject him, personally. He’s been a pretty nice guy so far, after all, disregard for other people’s property notwithstanding. (And she generally has a thing for a cool and brooding loners, but that’s not even a thing) The only problem is…

Y’know what? That’s hardly a reason, either. Maybe it won’t even be an issue. She’ll just have to deal with it when it comes up and hope for the best.

“Sure,” she replied, smiling softly. “I don’t see why not. Why don’t we discuss it while you walk me back to my hotel?”

Mentally Kaz had already been preparing for a rejection. The fact that Crisis had to pause before answering, that was what made Kaz think the answer had to be 'no'. That and his luck with this sort of thing never really worked. Luck in general was bad for him. He kept thinking, out of sheer number and odds, there had to be a winning ticket somewhere. It was hard each time to be a loser, but that didn't stop him from trying again. In the end these kind of confessions ended awkwardly.

After she finished speaking, his mouth was already opening to apologize or find some means of getting out of the situation. Until he realized that she had accepted. "What?! Really?!" He jerked back a bit, his voice clearly colored in his surprise and excitement. Indirectly it revealed his inexperience past the initial phase; he sweated a little and quickly tried to return to his former stance casually. "I-I mean yeah, that sounds great," he tried to recover. This didn't necessarily mean they were together yet, it just meant he had a chance. At least, that was assuming he hadn't just ruined it already. He took a deep breath and tried to think rationally.

Staying here clearly wasn't the best option; Crisis was right on that. Kaz placed his hand on the same section of the wall, returning the earth back to sand once more. He felt a little bad for busting into public property, so he used the same section that he'd ruined earlier. No reason to make a second hole. Casting a look around outside, Kaz noted that their pursuers seemed to have left. Their whole encounter considered, this hadn't been the most romantic of experiences. Crisis might have agreed to go on a future date, but they needed to figure out what would work. Drinking was apparently a no-go, and Kaz wasn't fond of arena activities.

As soon as she was out of the cellar, Kaz closed the wall back in the same fashion. "Is there anywhere that you've been meaning to visit but haven't gotten around to yet? Outside of Domus Flau. Like..." Hmm, what was in or nearby Crocus... "...Ryuzetsu Land Water Park..." ...would probably be too soon to suggest something like that, swimming and swimsuits for a first date. The thought of seeing Crisis in a bathing suit was a tempting proposition to make, maybe they could do that in the future... Wait, he'd just said that out loud already hadn't he... "Hahaha." Okay, awkward laugh not helping his situation. "Er, I'm sure there's got to be something," he struggled.

Kaz’s expression of disbelief was a little unexpected. Apparently, he hadn’t expected her to actually accept his request. He was certainly confident enough when he asked her out, not particularly awkward at all. Maybe a little melodramatic, if anything. If he was nervous she couldn’t tell, so if he was expecting a different answer it probably wasn’t out of fear. He would have to have been certain of her answer, which meant experience. Kaz likely had been rejected several times before by different women, probably every time. She couldn’t really imagine why, although one had to wonder…

Ryuzetsu Land Water Park probably wouldn’t have been her first choice, either, although not necessarily for the same reason. Growing up in the desert, water was something of a premium. Granted, it’s not like they had to ration water, what with modern magic and technology bringing in water from afar or purifying sea water. However, when the world around you is dry as a bone, you take your water a little more seriously. You could bathe regularly, sure, but a swimming pool was definitely a luxury, and there could be miles of sand between you and the shoreline. A whole water park, with water constantly gushing down acres monumental slides? That’s just ostentatious. Gaudy, even. Just rubbing all that water your face, that is. How tacky. Not that she was offended per se, but she could think of better ways to spend her time.

“Well, I wouldn’t really know all the hot spots,” Crisis remarked. “There’s always the classics. Dinner and a movie?”

(Sorry for the wait, I accidentally missed this alert.)

Kaz was quickly reigned back in with more practical thoughts. Crisis had a good way of bringing him back to reality. Dinner and a movie. Sure, that sounded good. Maybe he didn't have to think of crazy schemes; there was a certain charm to the norm. "That sounds good," he agreed. His heart was beating very fast, mainly because he was certain there was some catch or something he'd missed. Or maybe this was a dream, and he was going to wake up soon. Was Crisis legitimately interested? Or was there something else? All of his previous experiences had ended up very poorly, usually with the girl interested in the money on his head instead of anything about him. If he hadn't met Crisis under such clearly coincidental circumstances, he might have felt wary. But at least, right now... he didn't think that was the case with her.

"How about tomorrow night?" He suggested. Crisis had mentioned she'd been out last night, so Kaz was certain she wanted to rest. A day or so seemed like the right amount of time... especially since the two were travelers, and there was no telling how long they'd remain in Crocus. Plus he needed to start planning on what movies to suggest...

((S'alright. I wasn't exactly on a posting streak, anyway.))

Crisis thought about her plans for this week. They were decidedly nebulous. The only concrete thing was the Pankraton exhibition this weekend, and that was pretty much optional. The bulk of her plans were hunting down dark guilds and sleeping, and she didn't need to spend all week doing that. Hell, after the amount of time she spent doing that since getting her sword cursed, a proper date was a welcome respite. Today was one of the few times she got close to feeling like a normal person again. Why put off another such event?

She couldn't help but feel that Kaz was slightly suspicious of her, though. She had been trained to pick up on things like that, after all. It made her wonder if she had missed some detail during the encounter that should put her off. Anything she could think of seemed minor at the moment, and its not like this was leading to a major commitment, necessarily. She began to wonder if she should be on the look out for something, but she put it out of her mind. Or at least tried to. That was exactly the sort of thinking that could ruin an otherwise perfectly enjoyable evening.

"Tomorrow's good," she said. "I've got nothing tomorrow that I can't put off to later. We can see that new movie. What's it called? It's, like, sitting right there at the back of my head, but I can't remember it."

The thought suddenly occurred that Crisis could use the time to shop for something nice to wear. She generally traveled light, and that meant leaving the really good clothes behind. There was certainly no need to be extravagant, of course, but between what she was wearing now and her "I don't care as long as its warm and comfy" ensemble, she could stand to splurge on something nicer for the occasion.

Kaz was already recovering from his earlier momentary doubt. Crisis didn’t seem like the type to cause trouble with him. Their chance meeting had gone well, but it wasn’t overly perfect, so he doubted it was some kind of extreme setup. For now, he had no reason to doubt her intentions. Besides, if he kept thinking like that, he wasn’t going to enjoy himself on their date.

What was the name of that movie? Darn, Kaz wish he had been paying attention to the listings. He couldn’t quite bring himself to remember its name, though it was on the tip of his tongue. Something about the Wild West and cowboys. “Alright. Then we’ll meet here, tomorrow night,” he agreed happily. Too much happiness. He was never going to be able to sleep tonight – maybe he’d be better off practicing some lines against random girls, see what worked, and then use the successful ones on Crisis.

Before he could overthink it, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Without giving her proper time to respond he was already walking away, because he wasn’t sure he could take it if she protested against it. “Don’t forget!” He called out, not looking back, because a steady heat was rising to his face. Short of physically being restrained there was nothing that could stop him from meeting that appointment. Unfortunately for him, cruel fate was going to do just that, and he was going to miss the first ever arranged date.

~Exit~

(I’m going to pass on a second thread atm and try and get Kaz out of some stuff, also cause chronologically he gets mauled pretty badly this night, thx for this thread though~)

Before Crisis could reply, Kaz kissed her on the cheek and walked off. It her for a moment, as she wasn't expecting the gesture so soon. Not that she hadn't been kissed before, it's just... been a while, and pretty much every non-familial relationship in which she had kissed them hadn't ended well. Not that it had anything to do with kissing them, of course - that part she liked - but you know where kissing generally leads. Not that it has to, of course, but who knows what Kaz would expect. He was a good guy, and she was sure he would understand, but... No, forget about it. It's not worth obsessing over.

It was a good thing Kaz was facing away from her, so he couldn't see how deeply she was blushing as she stroked her cheek where he had kissed her. She smiled at his back. He was trying to hide it by not facing her, but she could tell how anxious he was by how he walked and carried himself. It was cute, in it's way, and she was glad he felt the same way.

"Yeah, right here, tomorrow," Crisis said. Unfortunately, this was going to wind up being a lie. There was going to be a distinct and sudden change of plans, followed by a whirlwind of excitement that caused her to somehow forget about the whole thing until she was available again a few days later. If she knew that Kaz wasn't going to make it, either, she wouldn't feel like a total asshole for standing him up like that.

((No problem. I kinda had this weird idea that Crisis wound up joining the Fairy Tail team on Tournament Isle and was so swept up in the excitement she conveniently forgot about the date. Never mind that Fairy Tail's guild hall is in a completely different city. <_<))