|}oggies Night Out

[faden]

Feel the Cold

[bells]

Bells leaned on one of the rails at the far end of the peer, gazing into the water's depths as if she might be able to see the bottom. She was in no way inconspicuous tonight as she had sacrificed her normally darker attire for something lighter. Tonight she donned blue jeans, low riders like she liked, with a comfortable long white coat which just reached her knees. The coat was buttoned up against the breeze which seemed to be speeding up as the night progressed; a storm perhaps?

Bells sensed when someone else came in the vicinity, but she neither feared nor grew suspicious. She figured it was just another passerby as there had been many throughout the evening. Bells glanced at her watch and sighed, she should be leaving this place soon. It was not wise for someone such as she to dwell in such a less than reputable place late at night, it was asking for trouble.

She turned her head slightly, curiosity getting the best of her as to who the new stranger was. He didn't seem to have noticed her... yet, or maybe he had and simply wasn't expressing it; a mystery to her. Bells looked back down into the dark depths.

[faden]

[bells]

Bells noticed when the stranger finally saw her there by the emotions that emanated from him, washing over her like a cold shower. He seemed calm, but sometimes her own senses deceived her. She immediately went on guard, not for fear, but more or less wisdom. She was not childish enough to fear lonely men in the night, but she was wise enough to understand the danger, no matter her ability to defend against it.

Bells stiffened ever so slightly as he began to move closer to her. Odd, but maybe he was just curious. Her thoughts flashed to memories of less than kind encounters with some such people late at night. Heh, she seemed to attract such things. Normally she would have smiled to herself at her knack for such misfortune, but now was not the time.

"A lady such as yourself shouldn't be out this late, neigh?"

Bells raised an eyebrow, her face hidden in the shadow. She turned slightly, glancing at him warily. "Perhaps not," she said, removing her hands from the railing on the pier and tucking them into the pockets of her coat. The cool air bit at her knuckles and it felt good to hide them in the warmth of her jacket. She still watched his every move, paying more attention now for the direction his emotions would take.

[faden]

[bells]

Bells continued to watch him closely, ever wary, remaining suspicious. The way he had suddenly grabbed the railing beside her had set her off a bit. She had not been expected him to invade her personal space so suddenly. Bells had to resist the urge to take a step back, away from him.

His question most definitely caught her off guard, even more so than before. She raised an eyebrow at how blunt the question was. Few people would come out and directly ask another such a question, it just wasn't polite. "No..." she answered slowly, trailing it off into silence. Bells wondered what he was to ask such a question, but controlled her curiosity. Age had given her a regard for the unspoken laws of socializing.

Bells watched his actions upon the water in silence, her curiosity growing for what he was by the minute. She was drawn from her thoughts when he spoke once again, once again warning her of the danger of being out at night, as if she didn't already know. In fact, it was that he restated that fact so willingly that made her suspicious.

She watched him, blue eyes dull with worry. "Bad people such as who?" she said quietly, meeting his eyes. The question was a test, a test of his responses, verbally and emotionally. If anything she could put him on his feet as much as he did her.

[faden]