Time Warp: Let Loose (Kai)

[Vanessa Rodriguez]

Date: June 2012

Exams were over, and to say that Vanessa was relieved felt like an understatement. Granted, exams had ended a little over a week ago, but she was still living in the excitement, knowing that her degree was now half complete. Two years done, two years to go. Realistically, she knew that she was more than capable academically and provided she continued to push herself, graduation wouldn't be a problem. Most students dropped out during or after the first year, and she reached that milestone already. 

So tonight, the Hispanic girl was going to let loose at yet another party yet another student was holding; this time, off campus at a fairly big house. Vanessa didn't have to know who was going or who was hosting the party. Once word got out, it was fair game, in her opinion. She smoothed out the back of her leather shorts, approaching the already bumping house with a wide grin on her face. It didn't take long for her to find the center of the party; the kitchen.

A couple drinks in her system and one more in her hand, Vanessa felt like she was ready to maneuver through the house to find an interesting face for the night. Maybe something would come of it, maybe not. She just wanted to relax and have a good time with her peers. Making her way through the crowd proved difficult, her average height not providing a good sight line. Dammit. Vanessa pulled her drink close to her chest, careful not to spill the liquid as she finally made it to a hallway that wasn't as crowded as the kitchen. She let out a sigh of relief, turning to find someone to talk to when she bumped into an incredibly tall man.

"Shit, sorry about that." Vanessa apologized before he even turned around. 

[Malachai Roen]

Another year down. Two more to go. Kai couldn't believe he was already half done with his undergraduate degree; before he knew it, he'd be applying for grad school and off on his way to find a job. It hadn't been a walk in the park, though - he'd taken some killer classes this year, and was fortunate he'd made it out with a barely above 4.0 GPA. Anything less and his parents would have had a stern talking to him.

So he wasn't feeling guilty at all about partying tonight. Well, he partied when he could anyway, so Kai never really felt guilty about it, since he just made sure not to do it before exams. He knew the guy hosting the party, so when he'd arrived earlier that evening, he'd already known several people that were there, and had quickly downed a few drinks. By now, he was in a very good, and very flirtatious, sort of mood. After all, he did come to these things to party, but he also came to them to maybe find someone to take home for the night. He was always careful, of course. He had to be. Kai couldn't have an accident from his behavior.

He was busy chatting up one of his friends in the hallway (he was cute, but Kai hadn't yet deemed himself ready to try a guy... Not yet), with his third or fourth drink in his hand. He didn't see the woman approaching until she bumped into him, and by the time he was turning to see who it was, she was already apologizing.

Kai flashed her a smile. "It's quite alright," he told her, turning the rest of his body to stand before the shorter girl. Damn. She was a looker. "I might not have had the pleasure of meeting you otherwise. I'm Malachai. But you can call me Kai." He held out a large hand to shake, not-so-subtly glancing the woman up and down. "Are you here with someone? If you're lost, maybe I can help you find them." He was seeing how she responded, to determine if she was alone, and if he stood a chance. She was one of the hottest babes he'd seen in here yet.

[Vanessa Rodriguez]

Vanessa too felt no qualms about going out for the third night in a row, and wasn't worried about getting too drunk (to a point. She had already blacked out once freshman year and found that to be no fun.) or dancing too much. Wasn't college about finding yourself anyway? The kind of lifestyle the Hispanic girl chose to engage in called for certain precautions, and so she never left without her cellphone, telling a friend where she was going and contraceptives. It was a must.

Usually, Vanessa would have apologized, made sure the stranger was alright and she hadn't spilled a drink on him and continued on her way. Thankfully, her glass wasn't full and nothing got on him or herself. She looked up to meet his eyes, and was greeted by a charming, attractive man. Vanessa couldn't help but to stare, a smile reciprocating his own. He seemed vaguely familiar, like she had seen him on campus before but not yet had the chance to talk. She held the cup up, chuckling. "Just glad I didn't get any on you, would've been a shame." Her free hand reached out to take Kai's. "I'm Vanessa, nice meeting you Kai." Now Vanessa was glad she had decided to crash the party.

"Oh no, just here by myself." Vanessa watched as Kai eyed her body, a smirk appearing on her face. "I like to come to these sorts of places alone." But she sure as hell didn't like leaving by herself. "Never know who you're going to meet." Lifting her cup, Vanessa took a sip as she stepped closer to him, providing a better sight line to her assets, the smirk still on her face. The pull of attraction was undeniable, and she decided to try her luck. Worth a shot, right?

[Malachai Roen]

Kai always made sure to be careful too. He liked to party, but not too hard, like some of those idiots that let themselves get shit drunk and pass out before the night was even half over, or vomiting all over the floor and ruining it for everyone. No, Kai knew his limit, and he knew what he should have on him at all times, which was the same as Vanessa.

He was already pretty tipsy tonight, though. Kai wouldn't have too much more to drink... Probably.

He was also glad that none of her drink had spilled on him - he would have been a little more upset, since he'd dressed up for the occasion. Sometimes for parties he just went for the 'bro' sort of look, but tonight he'd gone classier, with a nice button-up and one of his best pairs of jeans. And of course, everything else was perfectly groomed and placed. "I'm glad too," he said with a smile and a small laugh. When Vanessa took his hand, Kai lifted it so he could kiss the back of it with a sultry smile. "A pleasure, Vanessa," he told her.

Here by herself. Interesting, but great for Kai. "That's bold, to come to a party alone," Kai told her with a grin and a raised eyebrow. "A great way to meet new people, though. It forces you into interacting with strangers." It was risky too, but Kai wasn't someone she needed to worry about - not that Vanessa knew that. "So tell me, have I captured your interest enough to go somewhere more quiet?" he asked, looking down as she stepped closer and getting a much better angle of her 'assets'. Kai smiled appreciatively. This was going well. "The music is pretty loud here, makes it hard to talk too long." He nodded to the right. "They usually keep a room open for more conversational stuff, but... I'd need to refill my glass first," he added with a smirk and a raise of his drink.

[Vanessa Rodriguez]

Echoing his laugh, Vanessa raised the glass to take a sip of her beverage as she eyed his attire. It was nice to see a college man care about the way he looked, and it worked, as she figured Kai was the type of person to leave an impression everywhere he went. He sure as hell was leaving quite the impression on the tipsy girl. Tilting her head to the side, she let out a laugh as he kissed her hand and replied "You as well."

She twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, smirking. "Really? Should I be concerned, choosing to talk to you as oppose to anyone else?" Vanessa asked, a grin breaking through her composure. She was only joking around. "But yeah, it's how I like to do things." Not to mention, the Hispanic girl didn't want to feel responsible for any of her friends. If she came alone, she had to care only for herself.

And then came the question Vanessa herself was wondering. She nodded, as she came closer to Kai. "Hm, I would say so, yes." Casual nights were what she did best, and preferred. Looking to the right, Vanessa nodded in agreement and gestured to her own cup. "I could use another round myself. Here, let's go get one." Her hand landed on Malachai's back, as they maneuvered their way through the room back towards the kitchen. Another drink couldn't hurt. Maybe even two.

"So, I assume you're also here by yourself?" She inquired, looking up with a smirk.

[Malachai Roen]

Kai always liked to make great first impressions. You never knew who was connected to who - networking was a thing, and fortunately, he was very good at it. He had connections all over the place already. Potential hook-ups were no different - he wanted them to know they were special in some way, even if it was only for one night.

"Concerned?" Kai replied, raising a brow with a slightly teasing smirk toying at the corner of his lips. "Well, I know you have nothing previous to trust me with, but I can tell you confidently that I am one of the best people at this party that you could have chosen to almost spill your drink on." No one said he wasn't vain. His grin widened. "I like an independent woman. That's very admirable. I'm sure you always take special precautions, but I do want to make sure you stay safe. Do your friends at least know where you are?" Kai always wanted to make the women he flirted with feel as comfortable as possible. He wasn't some low-life creep bordering on the edges of consent - it was far more enjoyable when both parties were readily prepared for a situation like he was potentially planning.

He nodded as she motioned to her own cup, feeling a shiver up his spine as the beautiful woman's hand pressed gently against his back. Kai gladly moved to where she was leading, quickly finding himself back at the bar, where he got a refill of what he'd been drinking before. "Yes. Well, I came here alone, but I know the host and several of his guests, so I wasn't worried about finding someone to talk to." He took a sip of his drink and started meandering towards the quieter area of the house, into a dimly lit room where a few other couples lounged on beanbags in the corners, conversing quietly and more intimately. "Does this work for you?" he asked, motioning towards an empty loveseat in the corner. Kai was too classy for just a beanbag. And too tall.

[Vanessa Rodriguez]

Vanessa knew she had no reason to be concerned; her gut instinct was usually reliable. Within a minute of meeting someone new at a party, she could tell if they were good to be around or not. Thankfully, the latter wasn't something she encountered often enough. And if it turned out that Kai was a creep, she would excuse herself and make a quick beeline towards an exit. A smirk appeared on her face again. "Oh really? You sound quite sure of yourself there." Vanessa said, giving him a quick wink. She managed to hold back a blush, still embarrassed over spilling the drink on him. It was safe to say that it was the first time she'd ever done that.

The smirk rested on her face as Kai praised her independence. "Of course, I always make sure at least a couple of people know where I am." She answered confidently. Then again, Vermont was a lot smaller than her home state of Texas and there was likely less of a chance of anything happening to her. Didn't mean the Hispanic girl wasn't still going to take precautions.

Her lips spread into a more agreeable, easygoing smile. She was comfortable, and was sure that she was practically projecting her consent. Her gaze flickered up to Kai's face as her hand landed on his back and the two were at the bar. She too refilled her own drink, nodding along with the conversation. "I see." Vanessa said. "It's not any fun to come to a party and then not talk to anyone." It always frustrated her when people didn't make any effort whatsoever. She was a natural extrovert and just couldn't understand why you'd come to a party if it cause discomfort. Since Kai seemed to know where he was going, she eagerly followed him, taking quick sips of her beverage. The only comfortable looking spot left was the loveseat, and so, she nodded in response.

[Malachai Roen]

Kai had to chuckle as Vanessa pointed out how sure of himself he seemed. “Confidence is sexy, right?” he said with a smile. No one liked a guy that stammered and tripped over his words just trying to talk to a pretty girl. And well, come on, Kai knew he was hot. He’d been told as much over and over in his life, by the other partners he’d had. There was only one he’d ever really had deep feelings for over the length of their longer relationship… And after that had ended, he hadn’t wanted to do anything but be casual anymore. He didn’t want to risk those emotional ties again.

“Good, I’m glad to hear it,” he smiled, thankful that the woman was level-headed and thought in advance about safety. So many college women seemed to have the mindset of “just fuck it” and throw precaution to the wind. And while some more… Immature acquaintances of his might like that, Kai was always more comfortable with a girl who had a strong head on her shoulders.

He nodded in agreement as they settled into the room, casually raising his arm to rest behind Vanessa on the couch. “True… But then again, coming to a party and not knowing anyone forces you to interact with strangers and possibly meet people you never would have otherwise.” Kai smiled over at her and took another long sip of his drink before setting it aside and focusing more on Vanessa. “So what are you studying?” he asked with genuine curiosity. “Are you from the area?” More than once, Kai had found other people that, like him, had ended up in Vermont due to being a meta, and then moved on to UVM. He had no idea if the woman had an ability or not, but it was always good to at least make sure she wasn’t anti-meta before this went any farther.

[Vanessa Rodriguez]

A sultry smile appeared on Vanessa's face. "That's true." She agreed. There was nothing worse than someone, male or female, approaching her with a deer in the headlights expression. She liked confidence, and people that were sure of themselves automatically fared better in her books. So long as they had good reason for their confidence, and Kai did.

Often, she thought about her safety and wellbeing. It was mandatory. Now, it came as second nature to Vanessa and she didn't think much of it before letting at least two or three people know where she was going to be and asking if they were going to be at the same party or not. Better safe than sorry. She mirrored his smile, glad to see that he was concerned as well.

Following him to the couch, Vanessa took a seat on the cushion next to him, turning her body to focus her full attention on him. As far as she was concerned, nobody else mattered at the party. She kept her drink in hand, resting it on top of one knee, before answering his questions. "I'm into biology. Plants moreso than human." Vanessa said. It had taken her a year to discover that's what she enjoyed studying but now, she could start specializing in the field and the Hispanic girl was very excited for next semester to start. "And now, I'm originally from Texas." She paused, to take a sip of her beverage. "The university here offered me the best scholarship so I took it." She had no shame in admitting her less than ideal financial situation, considering most other Americans struggled with the costs of tuition and debt. "How about you? What's your major and reason for choosing Vermont?"