Drawing Blanks

[Angel ♥]

Day or night, the ocean always has a strange allure. Whether it was the sunlight glimmering over the turquoise surface or the pale moonlight scattering over the black waters, there was just something about it that was so inviting. The waves whispered seductivly as they crept up over the sands, before withdrawing again, as if to lure you into the dark depths of the waters. It was one of those age old cliches; beautiful one moment and deadly the next. If you strayed too far into the enticing waters you may be caught by an underwater current and dragged off to your death. In truth, the ocean was probably one of the biggest killers of history, quietly stealing lives through the ages, and yet people still settled near it and sailed upon it. Mortals really could be rather stupid, couldn't they?

However, it was for these reasons that Kyra loved the sea. They were rather alike really, beautiful but rather deadly if you didn't know how to treat them. She skimmed her fingertips over the surface of the water as she sang to herself. The words were in an ancient language, hallowing and beautiful at the same time, mingling with the sound of the waves to sound as though it belonged on the beach. She was stood up to her waist in the water, the tips of her hair floating in the water around her, the silk of her dress billowing around her legs.

In the light from the full moon she was really a rather beautiful sight, her hair gleaming silver and skin glowing pale. She looked almost as though she belonged in the sea, though the expensive dress and fine silver jewellery she was wearing told different. That did, however, create the question as to why exactly she was stood in the water...and why there was a man's hat bobbing up and down on the waves by her.

[Chani {♥}]

Gastón Beaumont was a man who could stand out in the most vibrant of places. His head almost looked aflame with the brilliantly wild mess of hair that sat atop it. Painfully red at the roots, it would fade to orange and become tipped in a golden yellow at the ends, which were sticking out in all directions, as usual. His tan was strange, too, hinting only vaguely at an orange tint. Odder still were his eyes; orange, inquisitive orbs. He was emanating a charismatic aura, so potent it seemed tangible, as if he might dominate the trees around him and make them his army. This aura only added to the intoxicating trait his very different appearance created.

But, if you were strong enough to will yourself past all that, you'd see that he really was just a man. He was bored with the world, honestly. He had went on two of his little treasure hunts recently, neither of them presenting anything of value. Not to him, at least. A few gems with which he had bought new clothes, but that was it. No, he yearned for something more, something you couldn't sell... Knowledge. He was always thirsty for more of it.

Presently, he was on his way to Nanjing's library. He'd been there innumerable times before, but he liked to check in every so often, even if it was just to recycle old facts and myths. He was wearing an orange-red shirt (well, let's be honest, can you imagine him in some bland, colorless hue?) of silk, with the collar and cuffs neatly folded. The buttons gleamed gold, catching the sparkle of the moonlight, and the light cloth shivered in the faintest wind. His pants were dark red, satin, and loose around his ankles. A fine leather belt with a gold buckle held these up. His boots were sturdy and fairly new. Well, he liked to keep an appearance. He loathed idiots who, as some would say, judged a book by its cover, but that only inspired him further to wear such fine garments; he liked keeping his enemies confused.

Over his right shoulder, there was a leather rucksack, bearing a few sets of clothes, some food, a few other traveling supplies, and a canteen of water. Like most, he knew better than to drink the salty sea water. Just one drink and you'd want more, then you wouldn't stop until you'd gone mad. In Gastón's right hand, he held a book. His orange eyes were darting to and fro, consuming the words on the pages. In his left hand, a ball of flame sat, flickering in the darkness and providing him with enough to see by, even when the trees blocked the moonlight. Every now and then, he'd stop and look at the stars to make sure he was still heading the right way. But he hadn't done that for a while now.

Then he stopped. What had he been doing? Though he had continued reading his book, he couldn't even remember what he had been reading about. He had subconsciously been following a voice, he knew now. A beautiful, enthralling voice that had hid itself in the back of his mind so he wouldn't know it was there and had pulled him forward; told his feet where to fall. He shut the book and looked around. Where had the voice went? Had it stopped? No, he needed to find it, to see what sort of creature had made that enchanting sound. A million possibilities popped into his learned mind as he scanned the moonlit beach.

Then, he dropped his book. In the water, there was a woman. She was quite possibly the most gorgeous woman he'd ever seen, he knew this even from a distance. He instantly knew she was the sort of woman that resembled sea water. If you were thirsty at all, you'd take a drink, and then you wouldn't be able to stop until you'd gone completely insane.

But Gastón wasn't asking for her name, or why she was out here, or for her to undress, like most men would have doubtlessly already done. There were other questions going through his mind. What was she? Where did she come from? To him, the fact that a man's hat was bobbing up and down on the waves of the water seemed of little importance. Her beauty was stunning, sure, but there were so many other things to be considered...

Would she run off if he addressed her? Well, she had obviously just killed a man, probably using that lethal voice of hers. No, she wouldn't run off; she could just as easily kill him. After all, he had come to her call, too, hadn't he? Would she kill him if he spoke to her? That was questionable. But did she already know he was there? If she did and hadn't killed him yet, he was probably safe, unless she liked to toy with her prey first. If she didn't, he should probably sneak off before being noticed until he could decide whether or not she was any threat to him. But he needed to know what she was. She seemed like she belonged to the water, whatever she was. What if she swam off and he never saw her again? This would bug him for the rest of his life.

She wasn't a mermaid; she was standing. A siren, then? Or perhaps a mermaid that could transform into a human? Or maybe she was simply a witch that cast spells by singing, he had heard of that before. Then her good looks could just be a coincidence. But that hardly seemed possible; she was eerily beautiful, almost unnatural.

"Beautiful night," he finally said. He thought about saying, "Perfect weather for murder" but decided against admitting he knew that she had just killed someone until he knew whether or not she planned on killing him as well.

[Angel ♥]

Kyra had noticed the man before he spoke to her, but was choosing to ignore him. She knew that he would come to her eventually, afterall, no-one could resist her singing. It was better letting them come to you anyway, Kyra wasn't the type to chase a man, she was above that. She wasn't really in the mood for seduction anyway right now, she was rather happy where she was. She was enjoying her latest murder, feeling rather invincible right now, just like after every other murder. You felt as though the world was at your feet, and it didn't even matter that her dress was soaked, and possibly ruined. She felt good.

"It is a rather beautiful evening." She murmured in agreement, her singing fading away, replaced by her rather silky voice. "Lovely weather for swimming, won't you join me?" She gave him a lingering look then, her fingertips still skimming over the water's surface as she bit her lower lip a little. She had no intentions of killing him, not right now anyway, right now she was more in the mood for mischief and games, and he was the perfect candidate.

"Silly dress, they aren't the most suitable of garments for swimming in..." She murmured as she glanced down at the material that was billowing around her legs, looking as though she were contemplating just taking the dress off. Kyra wasn't shy, nor was she the most decent of women, but she was wearing a rather pretty corset today and it would be such a shame for no-one at all to see it.

[Chani {♥}]

Gastón smiled back at her offer. Well, she wasn't trying to kill him yet.

"I'm not much of a swimmer, actually," he declined, his voice as soft as the silk around his chest. Even if he had been a swimmer, the hat lolling to and fro on the waves told him to stay grounded. It should have told him to leave while he had the chance, but she was far too interesting. "I suppose I wouldn't know. I've never worn a dress swimming, or at all, really." He shrugged offhandedly, then put one hand in the pocket of his trousers idly. Well, the only explosives he had on him were in his rucksack, and it would just look fishy for him to go digging in his bag. The only thing the miniature bomb in his pocket would do was throw smoke and harmless sparks, but it would have to work if things got aggressive. At the very least it could distract her until he was far enough away from her voice to plug his ears, but he hoped dearly it wouldn't come to that, not so much for fear of his life as for his interest in what this woman was.

[Angel ♥]

"Not much of a swimmer?" She repeated with an arched eyebrow, grinning at him a little. "You're not scared of the water, are you?" She questioned, tilting her head at him curiously. He had said no to her, not an outright no but it was a no all the same, and Kyra had to admit that she was a little caught off guard by it. She wasn't used to people refusing her. Maybe this guy really was scared of water?

"Never worn a dress? Ahh, you are missing out." She smirked at him, a playful tone to her voice as she moved to walk out of th water now, her dress now clinging to her legs, heavy with water. "I would let you try mine on, but, unfortunatly, it is a little wet." She smiled as she stepped up onto the beach, the sand sticking to her wet feet. "If you don't mind it being wet maybe I could just allow you to try it on anyway, because I am such a nice person." She offered, mischief glimmering in her pale eyes.

[Chani {♥}]

"Afraid? No," Gastón responded, returning the smile politely. "I've just never been that fond of it. And thanks for the gesture, but you can keep your dress. I fortunately decided to bring my own clothes today." He waved his hands over his shirt, as if to show her.

Gastón wasn't much for small-talk, but he tolerated it better than usual if he knew there'd be something in it for him at the end. Now, how could he get her to talk about her powers without looking suspicious? Well, she seemed to like flaunting her authority. He wondered if she was arrogant at all, if so, he could probably get her to talk about her powers by insulting her strength. But he couldn't be too offensive; he didn't want her deciding he'd be better off dead anytime soon. He found a middle-ground and cleared his throat.

"What are you doing out here alone?" he asked, pretending to be concerned for her. "Aren't you afraid of bandits? The things they would do to a beautiful little woman like you..." He trailed off and feigned a shudder.

Good show, he complimented himself silently as he looked into her face for a response.

[Angel ♥]

"Well, I didn't really want to say anything, but I don't think very much of the clothing that you brought with you, which is why I offered mine. Mine are so much better." She smirked to him, plucking the material away from her legs to twirl around, as though to let him see all of her dress, and se how much better it was compared with that he was wearing, even when wet.

Kyra was different to Gaston in that she rater enjoyed small talk, especially when she was in a good mood like she was at the moment. She knew that he was curious about her, but she much preferred being mysterious than laying everything out on a plate, and she wasn't about to answer all his questions, not with straight answers anyway.

"Afraid? Do I look like I have reason to be afraid?" She questioned, tilting her head at him a little, twisting a strand of hair around her fingertip. "Maybe looks an be deceptive; beautiful things might not always be defenceless, but I think that you already worked that out, right?" She smirked at him before tutting and wagging her finger at him. "If you want to know something you should just ask, you will never get anything without asking." She pointed out to him, "Though, I don't promise to answer you. I guess that you will just have to take that risk."

[Chani {♥}]

Gastón smirked at her insult on his clothing. Well, he liked them, and that was all that mattered. For once, he had agreed with fashion. Ri Yan was the world's biggest silk export and he enjoyed the way it felt on his skin. The vibrant colors weren't as agreeable with fashion and he had been forced to pay a bit higher for their brilliant hues... But he did not care what others thought, honestly. It was a bothersome habit. He personally couldn't picture himself in the dull browns and grays that the salesman had thrown before him.

He raised his eyebrows at her forward statement, then smiled. Yes, that's what he wanted, for the small talk to end.

"I'd be rather pleased if you would oblige me," Gastón responded softly, bowing his head briefly before raising his fiery eyes to hers again. "What are you?" No, he didn't want a name, he didn't want to know why there was a hat thrown onto shore by the waves of the water, and he didn't care where it's owner had went, either.

[Angel ♥]

"My my, you are straight to the point, aren't you?" She smirked to him before shaking her head, flicking her hair back over her shoulder. "Unfortunatly, I'm rather unwilling to oblige right now." She shrugged to him, giving him an obviously fake apologetic look. He had done nothing to deserve such personal information, and Kyra didn't give anything away for free.

"Maybe you should, I don't know, guess? That could be amusing." She suggested, seeming to become bored with Gaton now, drifting away from him to wander back down towards the edge of the water and the firmer sand, letting the water wash around her feet and rinse away the sand that was stuck to them.

"Or maybe you should start with an easier question and work your way up? Or presents help. If I like it enough I could even tell you the whole story, but I doubt that you could get me anything that amazing." She murmured before starting to hum to herself under her breath, watching the waves wash around her feet.

[Chani {♥}]

Gastón cocked an eyebrow.

"Guess? Well, I have a lot of theories already," he responded. "There are a good many things you could be. Even if I suggested all of them, which could very well take all night, would you tell me if I guessed correctly? Or perhaps I wouldn't guess at all. There are so many races in this world, it's hardly possible for me to know them all." He shrugged. "And something tells me that starting with easier questions and 'working my way up' isn't going to help in the end, either. So that leaves me with but one hope of getting you to confess what you are, and that's to fulfill your request for a gift. But again, we run into a dilemma. You don't seem to like my tastes of leisurely accessories." He waved his arms over his clothing. "Then again, I just happen to have an affinity for finding things no one else can." He smiled. "So, pray tell me something you want that you cannot or don't wish to obtain for yourself, and perhaps we can strike a bargain."

[Angel ♥]

"No, there is no garuntee that I will tell you if you find the truth, but that is part of the fun of the game." She shrugged to him without even looking up, occupying herself with nudging a shell with her toe, seeming to be trying to decide if she wanted it or not. Shells were pretty, but common, and rather cheap, Kyra had aquired a taste for the more expensive things in life. Shell's were for children.

In the time that it took for her to reach the decision that she didn't want the shell she had stopped listening to what her new friend was saying to her, giving him a totally blank look as she looked back up at him, taking a moment to pick up the thread of the conversation. "You want me to pick my own gift?" She asked, tilting her head at him, as though she were totaly bemused by the concept. "The whole point of a gift is the surprise, and me liking it is a chance that you have to take..." She pointed out before resting her hands on her hips and turning to face him fully. "Though, I suppose that I could help you out, just a little bit, to make sure that I get something that I really want."

With that she went quiet for a moment, thinking about what she wanted, before nodding to herself. "Alright then. I know what you can get for me." She smiled, absnelty drifting back up the beach to stand next to him again. "I'm not sure what it's called, but it's a necklace of black pearls. Apparently a fisherman's son found it in a cave, and not long after that his son disappeared, along with the necklace. Lots of people think that a noble took it. I want that. Get that and I will tell you whatever you want to know."

[Chani {♥}]

Gastón listened intently, nodding his head when she'd finished.

"Here in Nanjing?" he thought aloud. It was a large city. It would be difficult to track down the rumors and find some truth in them, more difficult still to find out where that necklace had gotten to when he hadn't even a name to go by. It was just the sort of challenge he liked. Of course, there were no puzzles or riddles involved, but it was a challenge all the same. Finally, he held out his hand, as if to shake hers. "Fine, you have yourself a deal... erm..." He paused, thinking over their conversation. "I don't believe I got your name. I'm Gastón, by the way."

[Angel ♥]

"Here in Nanjing." She confirmed with a nod of her head. She was watching his face carefully now, noting his expressions, looking for anything that told her that he doubted that he could do it, or that he would just all out refuse and leave, but she found nothing. Ah, so he was up for a little adventure? Maybe he was a little more interesting than he had first seemed. She was rather glad that she had bumped into him, actually. She got a little entertainment and a necklace out of this meeting, and all she had to do was tell him a little story.

"Deal." She nodded, taking his hand as he offered it to her. Her grip was light, and her skin strangely cool to the touch, yet soft. "My name is Kyra, and it is a pleasure doing business with you." She flashed him a pretty smile at that before letting go of his hand and looking up towards the town. "Now, unless you have a better plan, I propose that we head up to the inn, I need to change my clothes. It's a little cold out tonight."

[Chani {♥}]

"Very well, Kyra," Gastón said, finishing the handshake. "Yes, an inn sounds most agreeable right now." Gastón did not like wasting time, but he didn't intend to. There was no better place to find out the local rumors than an inn, where the drinks and conversations flowed steadily on like the Great River. Gastón hated mingling with drunkards, because he hated stupid people and drunkards were the elite of all ignoramuses. But it was only to get what information he needed. As long as he kept the objective in mind he might survive. "Did you have a certain inn in mind?"

[Angel ♥]

"The inn where all my thing are?" She suggested with an arched eyebrow, regarding him for a moment before she turned to strat walking towards the town. Did he really think that she travelled this light? Well, sometimes she did, but only when she had to leave behind her belonging and move on rather quickly. Kyra couldn't live without all of the little luxeries that she had become accustomed to.

"It's called...I'm not sure. Something dragon, I think. It's the best in town, or so I was told, and there is a rather pretty sign outside. I know where I am going." She explained without looking back to check that he was following, she expected that he would keep up with her, and if he didn't...well...that was his loss. "I take it that you have just arrived here? I would suggest renting a room at the inn, they really have very nice wine."