Second Chances (Anthony)

[katalyie]

The night time was beautiful, the amusement park grounds lit up by those giant flood lights that frequented places of that sort. Gleeful screams met the air as riders took the plunge on neck-break speed roller coasters and the faint echo of calliope music lingered about like ghosts of eras past. Food abounded her and the air certainly smelled that way. Hamburgers, corn dogs, cotton candy... All amusement park staples. People milled about and stood in long queue lines, though the numbers were certainly dropping off as night time took over.

Of all these things, London enjoyed the people the most. She was a frequent wanderer here, taking in all of the different kids of people that also came to the park to enjoy themselves. Families came for some good ol' fashioned fun, teenagers made their appearances on dates, and the occasional loner like herself made their way past the brightly colored booths, the various shows, and of course the rides. Humans and supernaturals alike wandered the grounds and that fact made London smile. Of course, neither group really paid attention to the other in a place like this, but that hardly mattered to the angel. Here, the groups meshed. That was really all that mattered.

As for tonight, London had one ride that she always enjoyed: the ferris wheel. Sure, it was slow and sort of boring but she loved being able to get a bird's eye view of park. The shapes of people became ants and the whole place seemed to glow. Nothing compared and every time she ended up here, the ferris wheel was her number one destination. Clad in some tight fitting dark jeans, a charcoal grey tank top and some black converse, the woman fit in with the masses perfectly. A touch of smoky eyeshadow and a grey beanie completed the look. Though her clothes were ordinary, the red head managed to add her own sparkle to them as she did with everything in her life. The line moved rather quickly once the angel found her place within it. The attendant moved people along with complete apathy, but London didn't really mind. Nothing could dampen her spirits right about now. Upon reaching the front of the line, the red head gave the attendant her ticket. The boy pocketed it without even glancing at her face and pointed her toward the lightly cushioned seat, mumbling something about loners. She knew that the ride attendants were bothered by people like her because they made the lines move slowly, but that hardly mattered. The woman just stepped through the gate and seated her, waiting for whoever it was that would be seated with her. A quick glance was stolen at the night sky, where the stars faintly glittered.

Tonight was a good night, for reasons she couldn't quite place. Just felt it in her wings.....

Whatcha thinkin'? Ohmygosh, I am so excited! Cannot even say.
Who's on your mind? Anthony. <3
Words? Idk...

[adlohse]

The heat was dwindling from the surprisingly hot Spring day that had been unexpectedly dumped on Manuka. He'd been out swimming for most of it, trying to keep cool. He disliked being uncomfortably hot, and getting baked in the heat was not on his list of things to do. Now that the evening was cooling off, he became more active, venturing out to the amusement park for some fun. Usually after a long day of swimming in the sun he went home and crashed, but considering the near perfect weather and beautiful, open night sky, he couldn't convince himself to go home and just sleep.

Mingling with the crowd, he watched people play the varying games, even trying some himself. He laughed witnessing a young girl's ecstatic reaction as she won a large prize, a stuffed purple poodle. It was so big that it dwarfed her, though her dad was nice enough to lug it around for her, he seemed proud of his daughter. Anthony ended up spotting them again an hour and a half later in a crowd of different people because their possession stuck out so distinctly from anyone else. At one point, while he was in line for a drink, he noticed a red haired girl about three people in front of him, that strongly resembled the same woman that accidentally jumped into his car. But when she turned around it wasn't her, London. Yea, London, that was her name. He felt slightly disappointed that it wasn't her, but his lips thinned, spreading into a broad smile as he thought about the odd experience they had previously shared with Kevin. She had definitely left a lasting impression. It felt like deja vu seeing someone like her running around again, despite the fact that the last time he talked to her was nearly two weeks ago.

After getting a big glass of water to quench his thirst, he found his energy levels waning, wanting to relax. His brown eyes shifted around, searching for a place to sit down and rest, but discovered the only benches that were nearby were filled with rowdy teenagers and old people. He shrugged. A kid screamed at one of their friends, and he turned to look from where. The Ferris wheel. Dark, slow... relaxing.. and someplace he could sit for a few minutes. Immediately, he eagerly headed for it to get in line.

Waiting went faster than he expected. A teary-eyed, whiny kid tugged on his mother's shirt with his sticky hand, showing her that he had dropped his ice cream cone on the ground. She signed and left the line with him, probably to get a replacement to appease him. The few people ahead of them shuffled into the empty Ferris wheel cages, and then it was hist turn. Handing the line attendant his ticket, he stepped forward, waiting for the Ferris wheel to stop so he could get an empty seat. Then, in the neon light, he spotted someone in one of the cages, the neon red strips of light set a soft glow onto their face, a woman, who was stopping right in front of him. An chill shot up his spine and his eyes practically bulged out of his head. It was the real thing this time, London.

Another worker pushed him forward, whom was quite grumpy, "C'mon.. we don't have all night sir," the short man said. Anthony was too busy gawking to react right away. How? What were the chances? He tried to reason it out. Maybe it was some bizarre twist of fate. He was certain he wasn't being stalked, he was the one stepping into her territory now! He still had options. He could turn and walk away, pretend like it never happened. It was dark, she probably couldn't see his face just yet. Then again, why would he just leave? She was alluring and sweet, and he regretted letting her get away the first time.

Biting his lip, he went for it. His shoulder accidentally came in contact with her, lightly nudging her as he sat down a few inches next to her in the tight cage. This time it was much closer contact, not having the e-brake and shifter knob between them like before. The attendant promptly closed the cage after he slipped in, and immediately the Ferris wheel started to rotate them back and upwards, stopping momentarily so that the same attendant could exchange the people from the cage after them. Meanwhile, his heart was racing just about as fast as his mind was, trying to compute what had just happened, and what he was going to say to her. Internally he was quite uneasy, but he didn't let his emotions seep out and effect his body language. He remained relaxed, his legs stretched out in front of him, his hand running through his silky, thick brown hair. He was dressed casually, with comfortable black jeans, matching sneakers and socks, and a simple, long-sleeve, dove gray colored dress shirt.



Notes; ^^

[katalyie]

London hadn't noticed when Anthony had first walked up. She was far too distracted trying to find constellations in the faded stars, squinting up at the darkness and tracing invisible lines with her fingers. Her attention was drawn back to the ground, however, when he bumped into her. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be in your way," She had mumbled before London actually turned her head too look at the person who had bumped her. When their eyes meet, the red head could have sworn her heart stopped. Was that really...? Could this really have happened?

The attendant shut the door to their seat with a clang, which shook London out of her reverie.Their seat went backward and upward as the new riders were loaded in and neither one of them had yet to say something. Taking a quick breath, she spoke. "Hey, Anthony." Her voice was soft, barely there. A note of amusement colored the sound and a bit of a smile twisted her lips. For once in her life, Lon's luck had worked for her. It had done something good for her. The only other truly good thing it had ever done for her was getting Jordan as her charge. This had the potential to be even better than that.

She could accuse him of stalking. The situation was just that weird. London just didn't think this was that sort of situation, that he was capable of that. They were just two people who happened to get into some pretty odd situations that just happened to involve each other.Of course, this situation was a little bit different than the last. They were in much closer quarters now, barely two inches between their bodies in the little cage. London wasn't panicking, though. She could keep her cool, or at least look like she was keeping her cool while she thought of what to do next. Oh boy... Jordan was going to kill her when he heard about this. She was going to get all kinds of hell for putting herself in this sort of situation with a stranger.

Despite herself, London smiled even wider. Maybe she wanted to be here. Maybe she wanted this situation to occur. She'd been left, after the last encounter, wanting to come upon that strange man with the gorgeous brown eyes again. Her secret wish had been granted, though they both seemed somewhat uncomfortable now. They'd just have to work through that, since they'd be stuck in close quarters for a while. "Lovely night, isn't it?"

[adlohse]

Anthony took a deep breath and exhaled silently, his nerves calming almost instantly. "Nah, I bumped into you, sorry." he said quietly, avoiding eye contact with her now that the door had been clamped shut, putting the two near strangers in a somewhat intimate environment together.

Attractive women had a way of getting him tangled up, he couldn't help but get nervous and feel awkward around them. They were soft and delicate, and alluring by nature. Women hardly understood the power they had over men, being the visually sensitive creatures they are. Then again, maybe they did. The way they dressed or flaunted themselves could make a man weak and tempted. He stared ahead of him blankly, hesitant to talk in fear of making a fool of himself, so he sat there for a moment, saying nothing more just yet until his thoughts stopped squirming around madly.

The Ferris wheel began to move again. It gradually advanced a few complete rotations before abruptly stopping, though nothing seemed unusual besides that. They dangled in the air, a few cages from the very top. Hearing his name, he glanced at her briefly with a faint smile. "You remembered my name," he said, his smile broadening in a charming way, and coupled with that were his big brown eyes; he could have melted down the guard of just about any cold-hearted person.

Lovely night? He had a blast earlier, and to top it off he was sitting with one of the coolest strangers he had ever met in a Ferris wheel, under the stars. "It is," he agreed. "London, I hope you're not uncomfortable with me being here. I was in line and the next thing I know I'm loading up, and you're there. It definitely caught me by surprise, but I figured it was my chance to get even," he grinned widely, joking with someone, for once. If she was uncomfortable, well.. she would have to get over it until they let them off the ride.

[/justify]

[katalyie]

London found herself grinning. This was great. No, this was beyond great. It was something else entirely that she hadn't come up with a word for. This had the potential to be the most awkward conversation ever, challenged only by their original meeting. Despite the awkwardness of it all, the red head just continued to grin. "Of course I remembered your name, silly. I only accidentally fell into your car and probably scared you out of your wits." She paused, laughed at herself under her breath. "I would have to have amnesia to forget you after that." She caught his smile and that expression and had to look away to hide the blush that reddened her cheeks.

The red head fell silent as the Ferris Wheel made its new rotation. They were near the top now, her favorite part. She'd get her bird's eye view of the park soon and then her whole night would be worth it. That was, of course, if she managed to get out of this situation without putting her foot in her mouth. Sneaking a glance at her seatmate, the angel hoped it was possible. He was far too cute to mess things up. Wait... No. She couldn't be thinking like that. As far as she could tell, Anthony was very very human. That was the biggest no-no of being an angel: no falling for humans. Even cute ones.

That rather dangerous line of thought was interrupted by Anthony's voice. The red head tilted her head toward him and listened intently, the smile she wore earlier only widening. "Uncomfortable?" She echoed quizzically. "Oh, no! I mean... I'm not if you're not. I think we've done a pretty good job of shattering that whole awkward first meeting thing. This is just icing on the cake. Chance encounter at an amusement park. How perfect!" She laughed, that pretty ringing sound carrying easily through the air. "The only way this could be more perfect would be if we got stuck up here."

As she'd been speaking, they'd been moving again. THey were now at the zenith and were about to head downward when the whole ride shuddered and came to a halt. London's eyes got about as big as dinner plates and hid her face in her hands to hide a furious red blush. "Oh god! I wasn't serious!" She shot a glare up at the sky, then gave Anthony an apologetic glance. Her green eyes were clear, but her expression was somewhat pained. "I have the worst luck," She admitted softly. "Sorry..."

[adlohse]

A warm, refreshing breeze blew past them, causing his shirt to tighten against him on one side for its duration, and his semi-long hair to get in his eyes, tickling the skin on his face behind his black-rimmed glasses. Aside from the many people chattering down below them, there was a soothing ambiance of the tree leaves shimmying in the wind against one another. He sat up and leaned forward slowly, resting his elbows on his knees, his head dropping down into one of his hands, removing his glasses to relive the tingling itch his hair had stimulated, gently rubbing his eye with a knuckle. With a penetrating gaze, his chocolate/amber hued eyes and thick eyebrows stood out, and the handsome angular lines of his face became more prominent, now that the glasses weren't crowding his face. He looked like a totally different person, though one could only get a small glimpse of his visage underneath before the glasses were put back in their place.

A faint smile never left his face the whole time she spoke. She had such a soft, feminine voice, and beautiful laugh, which nearly made his cheeks hot every time it rang out. Her body language, tone and words also told him that she was quite interested in getting to know him. He was sure of it. Aware of this, he lost any remaining tension. "It's beautiful.." he said, casually looking at her without realizing it. He leaned over and peered out the cage as he continued, observing all the different people scurry around through all the varying booths and rides, "I like being up high," he opened up a bit more, "I wonder what this whole park looks like from a bird's eye view. It would be cool to be able to fly and see everything from that perspective." He thought that probably might have sounded a little silly to her, but even though he was generally a serious guy, he did have an active imagination. Artists were known for that.

OK, so the ride had stopped and they were stuck for who knows how long, but all Anthony really wanted was to rest his tired body, and he was actually very pleased to be able to do just that, especially since the seats were padded and comfortable. He grinned lazily, chuckling softly at her reaction. He squirmed a little, getting more comfortable in the seat, letting his head rest back. "It's lucky for me. I've had a long, tiresome day.. and this is just what I needed." His legs stretched out in front of him with a sigh, staring up at the night sky.

[katalyie]

Despite knowing that it was incredibly rude, London could not help but stare when Anthony removed his glasses. Of course she could see how handsome he was when his glasses were on, but when they came off? .....wow..... He was breathtaking. She was so close, close enough to reach out and touch the lines of his face, to decide what color his eyes really wear, to run her fingers through his hair. All of those things were wildly inappropriate and she knew it, but that didn't stop the urge. The red head almost had to sit on her hands to preserve some shred of her dignity, but then Anthony put his glasses back on. Unable to unsee his visage without the glasses, London settled for resuming her smile.

That distracted smile only made his comment about flying all the more shocking. Of course, Anthony didn't know that he was talking to an angel. He had no way of knowing. She could fly and that made views like this all the more special. It was rather amusing to know that someone else appreciate the view as much as she did. "I like being high up too," London said quietly. "I used to dream I could fly all the time." Now she actually could fly and didn't need to just dream the possibility. She couldn't tell him that, though. She couldn't share that information. But god, did she appreciate that someone else saw it the same way she did. Perhaps that was his artistic side speaking. So intriguing..

She had accepted her fate when it came to the ferris wheel being broken, but again his statement caught her off guard. That seemed to be happening quite a lot.. "Really?" London echoed quietly. "You had a long day?" She had glanced over to find him staring up at the night sky. In attempt to see what Anthony was seeing, the red head had laid back as he did, but had ended up far closer than before without realizing it. "What do you see up there?" She was genuinely interested in what he was thinking and it was sure to show.

[adlohse]

There was something different about this girl that captivated his attention. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Here presence was calming, and strangely, he felt like he was conversing with an old friend, but it was more than that. He could sense the electricity of chemistry buzzing between them. Not many people would just sit and genuinely listen to a stranger, at least ones that he met. Usually after the first few minutes of talking to someone new, they both would end up going their own separate ways. But by some chance of fate, he was sitting with her again. It pleased him. Maybe this was all happening for some reason. It all to peculiar to ignore. Little did Anthony know he was entertaining an angel. It drew him to her like a magnet. "Hmm..", he said, listening to her voice.

"Ahh, just the stars.." he said quietly. He wanted to tell her how they made him feel so small in this world. When problems magnified, he would lose sight of how simple life really was. It was human nature that persisted to complicate things. Even though she was a nice person, he naturally resisted opening up too much more, pacing himself from getting too close to her right off.

"I spent most of the day swimming. Then after walking around tonight, I'm kinda exhausted.. but it felt good to cool off earlier. Do you like swimming?" Now that he mentioned it aloud, he could feel the slight sensation of warmth over his face and torso, heated from the effects of a light sunburn, especially over his shoulders. His head tilted to allow his eyes to look at her directly. "Do anything fun in the heat?" he inquired curiously.

It felt like only a few minutes, but nearly an hour had passed since they were first stuck. Their cage shook as the ride jolted back to life, causing all the attached cages to sway, causing some of them to creak. He sat up and stretched his arms in front of him, resisting the urge to yawn. A few people cheered, probably relieved and excited to get down. One by one each cage was unloaded, and their turn would be arriving soon.

[katalyie]

London chuckled under her breath. Just the stars? Oh boy. "I love the stars," She admitted softly, green eyes trained upward. "I love the stars and the night time and the sky. It's all just so.... big." She gestured vaguely toward the heavens, reminded of her true home in the sky. She belonged in Heaven because she was angel, but the red head truly enjoyed being here in Earth among the humans she had sworn to protect. Each one was so very different and chances brought them together or to her as it saw fit. She was rather impressed that Fate had brought her Anthony. More than she was impressed, she was grateful. The chemistry was undeniable, particularly since they'd been brought together like this once more. Realizing she was thinking too much, London redirected her attention to Anthony's voice. "Oh man.. Swimming. I haven't been in forever!"

The next question made her think. What had she done today? "Well.. I hung out with Jordan. He's my best friend. A total dork, but I love him to death." The red head smiled affectionately at the thought of her charge. "He made lunch. I tried to help and made a mess and he totally kicked me out of the kitchen. I spent the rest of the day making semi-witty comments while he played Final Fantasy." They had an odd relationship, that was for sure. Most angels feel for their charges, but that had never been a concern for London. As soon as she'd laid eyes on her somewhat geeky brunette charge, she just knew that they'd be best friends and nothing more. That kept her safe.

She was jolted from her musing by the ride shifting. It seemed they'd be getting down soon and they'd probably go their separate ways. Something about that, the thought of leaving Anthony, made London nervous. It would seem she wasn't ready for that yet. "Uh, hey. It seems that we're getting down from here. Do you wanna... walk around for a little while? I mean, if you're tired... You totally don't have to." She shot him a quick glance, green eyes a bit clouded. Asking things like this made her feel nervous, out of her comfort zone but there it was!

[adlohse]

Anthony's eyebrows lowered, his lips pursing together with a slight frown as he thought to himself. When she voiced her understanding towards the great appeal of the vast night sky, his previous unspoken words seemed channeled through her. Suspicion itching at the back of his mind, doubt permeating. Was she a supernatural? He was aware of certain types, but not all. One in particular being an immortal, which could read the emotions and thoughts of an individual. His head cocked to the side, his eyes steadied upon her. No way.. she was too sweet. The only supernatural he had met were jerks, and needed to be avoided at all cost to keep sanity. His face remained unreadable through all it, dismissing it quickly as she spoke again, not wanting to be distracted from her words. "Hmm.. well, I'm going tomorrow with my little brother. The weather is suppose to be nice again... you're welcome to come with us," he said casually, however, with confidence. He knew she liked him, and besides, Kevin would be thrilled to have her around again.

London spoke highly of Jordan. He was her best friend, and from what it sounded like they either lived together or hung out a lot. He almost winced, but hoped that she wasn't hinting to more involving what she meant by "best friends"; that they were interested in each other. Her tone was reassuring, from what he gathered, they were strictly platonic, .. but he still took note of it to be open minded. It's true, who was he kidding. She could be dating someone right now and he wouldn't have known. Though, her next inquiry definitely gave him the go to assume she wasn't seeing anyone. Grinning widely, he nodded. "I'm not that tired."

Soon they were near the ground again. A new worker unlatched and opened the door. It was a young woman with black hair and bright blue eyes. She smiled sweetly as Anthony shifted himself to get out. Twirling her long hair and giggling softly as he stood, she touched his elbow casually as she leaned forward to open the door more. Her movements were so fluid, it almost seemed accidental, but Anthony knew better by the way she was eying him like some piece of indispensable meat. In that very brief touch, her nails grazed his arm, causing goosebumps to rise on his skin. He swallowed the lump in his throat and stared down at her, shuffling away so that London was clear to get out herself, and to get away from the flirtatious advancements from the woman, which inevitably flattered him, but made him increasingly uneasy at the same instance. She didn't pay much attention to London, but he, turned to her with a 'what the heck is this woman doing' kind of look. "Lets go.." he said just above a whisper, heading away from the ferris wheel and its overly friendly attendant.

[katalyie]

London could not believe her luck. He'd invited her to go swimming and had agreed to hang out for a while long here at the park? God, she was going to have a story to tell Jordan when she got home that night. She could just see his semi-interested expression as he fought some pixelated monsters and nodded at the appropriate times. He said sometimes that her chatter got on his nerves, but the little smiles he sent her now and again proved that he didn't ENTIRELY mind being her confidante. That was sort of what she loved about Jordan. He just.... was Jordan.

"I would love to come swimming tomorrow with you and Kevin!" The red head said gleefully. "That sounds like so much fun. And really? You're not? Great!" Unable to repress the grin that had taken residence on her face, London tucked a strand of hair behind her ear to have something to do.

When they'd gotten on the ground again, London waited her turn to get out of the car. She was slightly surprised to see that the attendant had changed, but was even more surprised at the surge of jealousy she felt when the new attendant got a little too close. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion and her hand actually closed tightly around the bar of the cage. She almost said something when Anthony shot her a look. Immediately, London wiped her expression and shrugged innocently. As soon as Anthony looked away, the angel shot the attendant a dirty look. I'm watching you. Don't mess with him. She hopped out of the cage without softening her landing at all, causing a loud bang n the metal platform. The attendant girl jumped in surprise and London giggled under her breath. "Yeah, let's."

When they were a ways away from the ferris wheel, London looked about. "So," She said eloquently. "We're walking. Got any amusement park faves you haven't hit yet?"

[adlohse]

London's enthusiasm was encouraging. "Cool," he said in response. He could tell he didn't have to try to impress her for her to like him; he could just relax and be himself. It was a risk asking her out, but throwing Kevin in with them would remove any doubts he had about the so called non-date date be awkward.

There they were, walking together in the cool night air. By now the crowds had dispersed, with several small clusters of varying types of people scattered about doing their own things. Even though the temperature had dropped significantly considering there were no clouds to capture the day's heat, Anthony's body was keeping him unusually warm. His long fingers unbuttoned one of his shirt wrist cuffs, doing so no less skillfully with his less dominant, opposing hand on the other side, relieving the tension to pull his sleeves up. "So.." He smiled sheepishly, his hands slipping into his jean pockets. "Well.. for the most par--" His sentence was chopped off by a loud yell, immediately followed by clamorous laughter. "HEY.. you guys.. what are you doin.. hahh hahhhh..." Anthony didn't have to turn around to know that they had fallen victim to a group of drunk people.

With a raised brow, he glanced over his shoulder at them. A tan, ripped, shirtless guy with messy blond hair seemed to be their ringleader, who bounced forward a few steps ahead of the rest with an excited, lopsided skip. Three other people followed at his heels like prowling wolves; a chubby adolescent who looked too young to be able to legally smoke the lit cigarette that protruded from between his groping lips, his thin, bug-bitten arm loosely hanging from around a dazed blond girl who was dressed rather immodestly, her cleavage popping out from her low cut violet shirt and her black skirt too short to hide her neon fuchsia panties as she bent over to pick up something shiny on the ground--Anthony avoided his eyes from her altogether, his peripheral vision having picked up most of the details without viewing her directly. There was also another guy, who trailed behind them, a taller man who was about Anthony's height, with well kept, shoulder length black hair, aviator sunglasses and unnaturally white teeth. The man didn't seem to fit it with the bunch, until he stepped past their supposed blond leader, giving him a shove while cursing him, deeming it an appropriate time to physically assert himself.

The dark haired guy took off his glasses and stepped close to London, the smell of alcohol so pungent on his breath, she probably could have tasted it being so close to him. It happened all so fast. They closed in and the guy had grabbed London around the wrist, pulling her towards him with his clammy hands as he laughed. "Mmmmnn baby.. you're smokin..." Anthony's eyes bulged and his mouth dropped open as his body flinched. A second later the blond guy joined in, stepping closer to spew from his mouth, the other two people making out sloppily from a nearby distance, having no discretion whatsoever, making Anthony's stomach churn with disgust. "Yeah! You're coming with us! We love you ladies.. and you'll love what we'll do to you.. hahh.. HAHHHHH," he shouted idiotically, not realizing how loud or how blatantly honest he was coming across.

Anthony wasn't one for intervening in these kind of things, he hated conflict and acting impulsively, but witnessing something like this, his instincts instantly kicked in, adrenaline surging through his veins. He wasn't about to beat up some drunk people, but if he was forced to, he wouldn't hesitate to bloody his knuckles. His hands gripped into tight fists, and the veins in his strong arms were starting to protrude slightly. He was not having it. Anthony stepped forward, getting in the guy's face, putting distance between the man and London, his eyes narrow and sharp, seething with intensity. "Don't touch her," he warned, looming over him with a biting glare. Anthony's voice was unnervingly deep and stern, but still calm, taking on a drastically serious tone, much different than London had previously heard from him. The blond guy cackled and clapped his hands like a maniac, entertained.

[katalyie]

The night had gotten significantly cooler, but the red head didn't really seem to notice. She was much too busy watching Anthony unbutton his shirt cuffs with those long, elegant fingers. He pulled up his sleeves and London mused. Must have been a bit too warm for his liking. The red head was waiting for the end of his sentence when obnoxious laughter met the air. She knew the group before she even turned around. They'd given her trouble before, but she seriously doubted they'd even remember. Earlier, though, she'd had a security guard push them away when they'd gotten handsy. Now...

London cried out in indignation with the dark haired one grabbed her by the wrist. "H-Hey! Let me go!" She spat, trying to sound threatening. She failed, though, only succeeding in sounding scared. The angel's other hand balled into a gist and banged uselessly against the man's chest. He seemed to have no intentions of doing as she asked, which mean she was in big trouble.

The blond guy joined in London's stomach dropped. Oh, man. This was not good. She got Anthony a pleading glance, asking for help. He was stronger than she was, he could get her out of this. "I said let me go. I'm not going anywhere with you!" Her tone was a bit sterner, since she had Anthony's to mirror. He was helping just by being around, but it wasn't quite enough. She could still feel the eyes on her body and she shuddered.

When Anthony put some distance between herself and the man, London shuddered in relief, though she had a sneaking feeling that the drunks wouldn't take kindly to their prey being removed. The red head considered running to get security, but figured that she'd never get back in time. Not good, not good. "Be careful, Anthony." She pleaded, voice small and afraid. "Please.

[adlohse]

The lanky guy with the back hair threw his arms up exaggeratedly, taking the hint that Anthony was going to get serious if he pushed things further. "Fine," he muttered, mumbling something else indistinguishable under his breath as he turned and walked away. Anthony's expression lightened. The blond guy screeched, "What?! Why are--" But before he could continue, he was cut off with a rebuke from his friend. They left as quickly as they came, laughter sounding in the distance as they rounded one of the buildings on the corner.

Her watched London, leaning over a bit to rub the back of his neck, his other hand running through his hair, sweeping it out of his face. That must've really made her uncomfortable, it sure did him. Where were the security guards when you needed them. "Sorry," he said quietly, sighing with relief, beginning to walk again. He let a small period of silence pass between them before switching the topic, letting the sizzling heat dissipate from his nerves.

Any tension he had earlier was gone now. "What a night." Chucking, he shook his head with a grin. "So London, tell me more about yourself," he said, his hands slipping partway into his pockets again, "What kind of things interest you besides swimming? And speaking of swimming, you wanna meet us at the store we first got acquainted at, say around one-ish tomorrow?" His voice was taking on a slightly deeper note then it had earlier due to his level tiredness, but he also seemed in no rush to end the night. Being around lots of unknown people drained him, especially when he exerted himself in conflicting social situations.

[katalyie]

It took a moment or seven of just breathing before London could accept that the guys were going to leave without hurting her. Anthony had scared them and she was forever grateful. The red head narrowly checked the impulse to launch a hug at him, but repressed the urge by clasping her hands behind her back. Besides, that position stretched out her shoulder muscles which were always super tense because of her wings. "No, I mean... It's fine. They're gone." She was honestly more shaken than she let on, but didn't plan on letting it show.

When the topic shifted to her interests, London breathed a sigh of relief. That she could talk about. "Yeah, totally. Crazy night." She laughed quietly, still that ringing sound though it was far softer than before. "But um... what do I like?I like... thunderstorms. Nothing better, in my opinion. The sound rain makes on a roof will put me sleep in seconds. I like... nighttime and the stars as I've previously pointed out. I like... cats. They're really cute. I read way too much for my own good and I take care of Jordan. That's a full time job. He's like a little brother, which you should be able to relate to. Oh, and um. That sounds great, as far as a meeting place is concerned." The red head grinned at the memory of Anthony's little brother. He had been adorably enthusiastic about meeting her, which London thought was super cute. "What about you? What interests you?"

Green eyes shifted briefly upward to the sky, then over to her companion. Anthony really was handsome and he'd just proven how brave he was, which was an equally attractive quality. Speaking of that bravery... "Thank you for that, by the way. I kind of froze. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't have stepped in..." Her voice was soft, grateful. She wanted to reach out and make some sort of contact, but wasn't really sure what could be considered appropriate. At a loss, she remained still and relished the night air until he would respond.

[adlohse]

They were gradually advancing in the direction of the amusement park's exit, though there would still be a good slice of time until they were there, especially at this eased pace. The way she talked about the rain sounded almost poetic, he couldn't help but smile broadly while listening to her. He was pleased with the fact that she mentioned Jordan being a like a little brother to her. "Hmm.. interesting," he stated quietly. Few things were spoken, but his mind chewed on her words. There was an awkward silence, but Anthony made no attempt to alleviate its presence.

What he definitely appreciated was her vocalized gratitude. He wasn't certain if he would have did it again for someone else, but then again, that situation was spiraling downwards so quickly, it would have pulled him in if he choose it or not either way. He was modest with his words, not comfortable with exhaling himself, even though a sense of pride rose in his chest. "It wasn't right, what they were doing. Stepping in was just natural," he said casually, "But I'm glad you're safe." His voice trailed off during that last sentence, almost too soft for his words to be distinguishable.

So, London wanted to hug him. Anthony wasn't aware of her attraction reaching to that extent, but it was a good thing she controlled herself. It would have been too much for her to do so, and he would have inevitably felt a bit uncomfortable, even though it was completely innocent. There was no doubt that he had a growing fondness for her, but he was still figuring her out. Often Anthony's emotional attachments to people were delayed, and they would get closer to him much faster than he could keep up with; a coping mechanism. However, once he reached a solid decision, he wouldn't withhold himself, giving his affections freely and wholeheartedly. He didn't like to lead people on or play games, and coming across as a flirtatious player was the last thing he wanted to represent himself as.

Stretching his shoulders back and giving the night sky a brief glance, he thought of the words to say. "I'm easy to please. Put me outside and I'm happy." Yeah.. that was saying much. He was an artist, who had amazingly skillful hands for building and creating things, though he didn't tell himself that. He just used them to bend to his will. He also had a rather sensual side to him, which he often underestimated the power of. "You going stay here longer, or you heading home..?" He paused for a moment, watching her. "I can walk you out if you like," he said, wanting her to get home safe and sound. His dark eyes shifted around, trailing over the people mingling nearby