undergrounds | in the company of strangers

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in the company of strangers

Kyle had been away for too long, first following Alex and then focusing on his own leads to try to find an old commanding officer. The hunt was futile, leaving him feeling played and used all at once. With Alex out of touch in her search and too many dead ends, the former soldier finally returned to London, feeling a bit reckless and angry while simultaneously eager to connect with recent friends.

A; I CAN'T SEE STRAIGHT ANYMORE (DRINKING)
Generally, as a rule, Kyle made a deliberate effort to avoid getting drunk. With his training and issues, it was a recipe for disaster and he was a responsible enough person to choose not to engage in such an unnecessary risk. Generally. Right now, he felt like shit and had very few responsibilities to worry about.

Which was why he was wandering casually from pub to pub, from early afternoon to late in the evening, having a beer here and a whiskey there. Mostly beer. He wanted to ride the buzz, to sit in his temporary angst like a cliche, 20-something American and make bad choices. Be the stereotype of the loud tourist for once, instead of always trying to defy expectations. He sat at the bar, ordered another beer, let his gaze slip past the wood grain of the counter back into his own mind to block things out. Here, he was just another guy drinking in London. No supernatural bullshit involved. Until, of course, it was.

B; GONNA HIT THIS CITY (HUNTING)
After and in between his bouts of reckless drinking, Kyle opted for another form of reckless behavior: hunting. He was a soldier, not a hunter, as he had explained to at least a dozen people in the last year. Yeah, he killed vampires, but that was the mission. He didn't go looking for the supernatural. Except that now he was. He was bored and angry, with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove, stalking the night and trying to find more vampires, werewolves, witches, whatever. He might not actually attack them, might only get to know them. As a human, it was all dangerous. But it was fun too.

C; WELCOME TO MY HOUSE (AT HOME)
Kyle's plans to move in with Alex were nixed before they started and his invitation to Nancy didn't fair much better. Which meant he returned from Germany to an empty apartment, barely furnished, with the unfulfilled potential of something now lost to time. He dropped his keys on the counter and leaned back against it, staring out at the window. The rumbling of his stomach reminded him how empty his fridge was and he immediately left again for the corner store, to grab some basic groceries and return to cook up a simple meal. Maybe a few drinks too.

[OOC: Feel free to bump into him on his way to the store or, for existing CR, to know or have found out where he lives.]

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"Huh." It's the only thing he offers for all his questions answered. Kyle adopts a small frown as he looks at her, wishing she was human rather than what she is, wondering if those thoughts about her will ever change. A thought occurs to him after a moment, a continuation of the previous slew. One with a sharper edge.

"If you breathe, does that mean you can suffocate?" He's not asking about her. He's asking because it could be useful. It crosses his mind whether the kind of genocide he wishes to commit against vampires is something his parents would be okay with, if being a soldier messed with him that badly or if they're really as evil as he thinks. But the thought goes almost as quickly as it came.

"Screw the drink. Do you want to take a walk? We should take a walk. I want to know more about you. You, Natasha, not you.." He gestures to his teeth. "That too, actually. But if we're going to lie in bed together, I need to know you. That's a metaphor. Lying in bed because we're working together, not to have sex. Unless you want that too."

He flashes a grin at the end of his rambling, knowing how charming and attractive he can be when he tries. The flirting is his default, really, though there's a part of him that means every word right now. Anything to forget Alex, anything to piss her off, anything to bring her back.

For a few seconds, Natasha just watches him. She's not entirely sure where to start to respond to all that. The flurry is flirtatious, but while he's not sloppy drunk, it's clumsier than his normal teasing. That combined with the more morbid question make for a lot to take in at once.

Then, after that beat, she nods. "A walk sounds good." He can use the air. Maybe she can too—not for the same reasons, but because she should clear her head. "Get some air, have a chat..."

Just what he wants to know, she's not sure, but she'll answer what she can. She finishes her whiskey in a quick swallow and throws a little money on the table.

She only answers his question when they get out of the pub, after taking a deep breath. As though proving to them both that she still does. Then she says, "No. We don't suffocate. Not being able to breathe is uncomfortable though—not a fun experience."

Kyle doesn't sway or stumble, yet his movements feel more lumbering and deliberate. He moves outside with her easily enough, embracing the fresh air and the warmth even at this hour. The thought of offering an arm for a pretty girl crosses his mind for a split second before he again recalls their relationship and what she is. Instead, he slides his hands into his pockets where they'll be safe.

"Like torture," he responds idly. It seems to be said almost with an unpleasant memory rather than as a pondering of the future.

Kyle shakes it off and turns to give her another smile. "So tell me about yourself. Where you from? Why are you here? What do you want out of life? Or, my personal favorite, where do you see yourself in the next five years?"

Natasha catches the note in his voice as he responds. She can guess, based on what she does know about him, what kind of experiences might have put that tone in his voice. She doesn't pursue it, but she does feel something like sympathy for it.

She wouldn't want to be questioned about that. Of course, she isn't entirely sure how to deal with the questions he is asking her. No reason to worry about the ones he isn't.

After a brief moment where she considers hedging, she returns his smile. "At this point, five years is a long time. If I'm still alive and kicking, I'll call it success." For values of alive that apply to a vampire. "I'm from Stalingrad, originally. It's been a long time since I went back."

Natasha chooses to call it that, even though the name hasn't been officially been Stalingrad since before she had been turned, but calling it that—it was an intentional clue to her age.

"I understand that one," he replies quietly, chuckling in agreement about the idea of being alive in five years. Kyle thought London would be a peaceful and boring break from the life he'd known for years prior. Now it's turning out to be almost as interesting, although less stressful for the most part.

He hesitates in his step when she mentions Russia, continuing on quickly and doing his best to pretend it never happened. The name of the city registers as the country but not the specific time. He was never the sharpest kid and there's something about the idea that strikes him more substantially.

"Why did you help Alex?" The question comes as abruptly aloud as it came to his mind, unplanned yet important to him to know.

If Natasha had been thinking about challenging Kyle into following through on his flirting, mention of Alex slows her down. Natasha had understood Alex in some ways, in some ways more than she wanted to admit. Perhaps it was her own projections, but she guesses a fair amount about her. Much of it never confirmed.

She frowns slightly. There are a lot of answer she could give to that question, and even more that she'd never admit to.

Squaring her shoulders, she folds her hands behind her back, a controlled posture that still manages to leave her stance open as she finally answers. "It wasn't going to help anyone if I didn't. Islington would find her and execute her. One way or another they'd have found a way to use her to justify escalating hostility with East End. It'd give them all the excuse they needed to start a war. I came here to get away from that," she said and all of that was true. She'd done the math, and helping Alex had been the best move politically. That wasn't all, though. "I was the last person anyone would expect to help her. It made sense."

Her lips compress slightly as she considers leaving her answer there. For some reason, she adds, "And maybe I was impressed. I think the two of us had more in common than she'd like to admit."

Badass Russian women with a sketchy past and way too much power? Yeah, Kyle can see the similarities too. He appreciates her honestly, assuming that she's telling him the truth without reservation. It makes him like and trust her all the more, which may not be the best thing for him. At least it makes him feel better for a moment, and helps him feel a little less bad for flirting with her. In spite of what she is.

"It made sense," he agrees lightly, giving a nod. It's the answer he wanted and so there's not really much more to say. "And now?"

"Now I don't even know where she is. Which is probably the safest for both of us." She shrugs, reading that question in the most convenient way for her, the way that most sidesteps any personal feelings she might have on the matter. She is glad Alex is gone, though. And who knows? Once Harris was out of the seat of power in Islington, maybe the girl could come back.

"You really care about her, huh?"

"I was asking about what you're doing, not her. I know what she's up to." He knows roughly where she is and what she's up to. Even though they're broken up, they do trust and love each other. The pair talked about getting back together eventually, but Kyle's not so naive as to believe in that until it happens.

"But yeah, I guess I did. Do." He shrugs. "We're in different worlds."

Natasha's lips twitch toward something that almost resembles an embarrassed smile. Imagine a vampire who can be bashful. Hard to say if it's honest, but it seems genuine in an understated way.

"Guess I'm not very good at talking about myself," she says. "Old habits. If you keep on asking, I just might take you up on the kissing offer to change the subject."

"That's a win-win for me. Either I get to know more about you or I get to have some fun." It's entirely teasing. Kyle's not really sure if he wants to kiss her, especially as he begins to slowly sober with the fresh air and actual movement. Or maybe it's talking about Alex that killed his desire to seek distraction elsewhere.

"Come on. You gotta give me somethin' if we're going to continue to be.. whatever this is."

That is Natasha's life; all flirting and no follow through. A girl could get frustrated at this rate. At the same time, she couldn't fault it too much. Especially with someone like Kyle, it was probably safer all around. Less chance of things getting complicated, or one of them doing something they'd both regret.

She wasn't entirely prepared to give up on the flirting part, though.

"We could try being friends, but I have the feeling you wouldn't find a whole lot about me very friendly." She pauses, before adding, "It took me a long time to figure out I wasn't happy with my situation, and even longer to realize I could do something about it."

Edited 2016-09-18 04:14 (UTC)

"You'll warm up to me," he replies without missing a beat. Natasha's been plenty friendly, outside of what she is, and he's content to try to be something like friends with her, or to maybe enjoy something more, if he can ignore the pesky vampire part. She definitely makes it too easy to do so.

"I get it. It wasn't until my life changed for the worse that I realized how damn naive I was, and it took me awhile to decide how to handle it." It's not quite the same, but he's trying. "I'm glad you changed."

"Me too," she admits. "At least, most of the time."

The last part, Natasha says lightly enough that it could be only a joke. It's not. Things used to be a lot simpler. There were moments when being happier sometimes, or feeling better about what she was doing, seemed like a small gain against the call of the path of least resistance. Especially when nothing she did now would erase her past.

A moment later she stops walking, turning to face him and leaning against the wall of the nearest building, the brick cool through her jacket. Her hands stayed folded neatly behind her back.

"Not sure I'm the one who has to warm on you, though. Not sure what it says about me, but I'd say I like you just fine." She flashes a self-deprecating smile. "You keep me honest, at least."

He nods in understanding. Kyle didn't really have a choice in his new life, so much as it was thrust upon him, but he understands wanting something easier. Hell, he's a human who's still meddling with the supernatural world. He definitely understands wanting to walk away or give in to the less stressful life.

Kyle stops a step after she does, turning to face her and closing some of the distance between them. He presses a hand to the brick beside her, partially closing her in in what he knows to be a cliche fashion. "I kinda doubt that. But one of these days, you're going to let me in and tell me the truth and then the world will break in half."

It is cliche, but also a little amusing. It also highlights the fact that she's not a large woman. Someone who didn't know what she was or what she'd been trained to be might mistake her for being at a disadvantage here.

She lowers her voice a little when she speaks again, with him standing that close. "You think me letting you in will be that groundbreaking?"

Her hands stay behind her back, very deliberately leaving it to him to make any move, if it's going to happen, but she lifts her chin, meeting his eyes with a clear green gaze. "I suspect the world will keep right on turning."

"Okay," he amends with a tilt of the head. "Your world will break in half."

Kyle flashes what he knows to be a charming grin before straightening from the wall. As much as he enjoys the games, he still doesn't know what he wants when it comes to Natasha. Hell, he doesn't even know how to feel about her beyond wanting her to stay clean and wanting to help her with that.

"No one else will have a clue. Isn't that the way you like it?"

She doesn't try to pull him back, letting him go if that's what he wants. She imagines that's what he wants, considering his feelings on vampires.

"I don't know if I'd say I like it." She says, her voice low without being soft. "It keeps me alive though." For values of alive that don't involve being alive, strictly speaking. She's awful lively for a dead woman. It works well enough for her. "Habits like that get hard to break."

He nods in agreement, understanding all too well how habits can become pervasive, not only in behavior but in ways of thinking as well. Kyle slides his hands into his pockets and gives a tilt of the head, inviting her to continue walking with him, hoping she'll agree without him having to think too hard about enjoying spending time with her.

"Alive is good." For once, he leaves out the part about how that's not strictly true with Natasha. "You want something besides being alive? Tulips, a ship in a bottle, rare postage stamps? Everyone has a hobby."

"Hobbies, huh?" She doesn't know that she can say she does. Definitely not like those. The answers that come to mind are complicated. Things she enjoys. Things she would have liked if she had a life that allowed it, though maybe she did have the chance to pursue those now.

"Lately, I've mostly been cultivating a high functioning alcoholism." She says, buying time as she falls into step beside him. "I used to dance."

"That's almost a hobby," he chuckles with a tilt of his head, though he almost knows the feeling. Social drinking is common in America, but it's ubiquitous in London to the point where it's weird not to engage in casual drinking on a daily basis. Having to deal with the stress of the worlds they live in only exasperates the desire.

At the latter, he smiles. "For fun or in competitions? Why'd you stop?"

"Oh, it was definitely competitive." Even when the ballet was meant to be a cover, their teachers had taken it very seriously. And so had the girls. Still, Natasha had enjoyed it.

"But I guess for a while there I got a lot less interested in fun. Wasn't really part of the lifestyle."

"Which lifestyle? Vampire, woman of mystery, or adult?" There are really a lot of options, a lot of reasons normal people give up hobbies they enjoy or other fun. His own reason was a response to the loss of his family. He can only guess - and hope - that hers isn't the same.

"Would you try it again now?"

"Dancing? Maybe. I think about taking it back up from time to time." But it's always a little bit of a dream. At least doing it in any committed way.

"And it was working for the nest that did it."

She shakes her head. She doesn't elaborate. There's no reason to say she'd lost interest in that sort of thing in what she realized now had been the apathy that followed her sire's death and her disillusionment with Red Room. She thinks about it, though.

"Sometimes I think about getting a motorcycle, though. That would be fun."

Kyle laughs. It suits her. Despite knowing almost nothing about her, it's clear she forges her own path and doesn't have much time for peoples' bullshit. Her being a dancer in her former life is more surprising than her desire to get a motorcycle.

"You should. I can definitely see it." Kyle prefers public transit and running. Or a humvee, though probably not on the streets of London. There's something about a train and the Underground that calms him though. Even with the bombings and cage-like feel. "Let me know when you do and I'll hitch a ride."

A pause. "In the meantime, I think we should sign you up for dance lessons. Zumba? Belly dance? Pole dancing?" He exaggerates a sensual tone with the teasing.

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