Locked Out In the Rain (Open)

[Tsukiko Aoki]

Tsukiko was glad for a day off, even if the weather was overcast and gray. Because Roman had work she had spent the better part of the morning at the mall, grabbing a salad at the food court for lunch. It wasn't the freshest of foods, but it was certainly better than clogging her arteries with the fried and fatty foods that made up the majority of the choices.

She had obtained some new clothes as well as some new decorative knickknacks for her house, and as such she considered the mission a success.

Her day began to go downhill considerably as soon as she left the building.

The clouds that had threatened rain finally burst, sending her scurrying out to her car, hunched over because she hadn't thought to bring an umbrella and she couldn't very well use plastic bags of very fragile items to shield herself from the rain.

When she arrived at her car she began to frantically search through her purse, only to realize that the key she needed.....was in the car. She could see it, discarded on the passenger seat, her cell phone next to it where she had thrown them after searching through her wallet to make sure she had all her credit cards.

"Seriously?" She hissed, furious at herself for such stupidity, as she turned to head back into the mall. She thought they had payphones, though she'd never paid much attention before; she'd never had to.

[Ezekiel Benedict]

Ezekiel was still spun out from his meeting with Anastasia. He had definitely felt, and that...made him wary. He suspected that the warnings from his colleagues about Anastasia had been for this very reason, as well as her questionable connections and activities. Her power really was like a drug, and while his professional self told him to steer clear of her, she had awoken something inside of him that had lain dormant for years, since before Ireland...

"Seriously?" Ezekiel barely had time to register the voice before, for the second time that day, he went crashing into someone. This time, he was so lost in thought that he didn't have time to increase his mass in 'defence', but he quickly realised that he didn't need to as he sent the woman in front of him spinning back against her car. Not again.

Knowing that one had the power to literally make the ground swallow you up tended to make him careful with what phrases he used to describe how he felt, but it was the only one that his brain could muster at the time.

As he began to take in the rest of the situation, he realised that it was raining, and that the woman seemed to be slightly, a little bit, furious. Another winning combination. Quickly, he moved to help her up.

"I am so sorry, ma'am, I was just...I wasn't looking where I was going, my fault. Are you ok?" It wasn't exactly full of passion, but since he couldn't feel the emotion behind the apology, he felt he had done okay.

[Tsukiko Aoki]

Kiko let out a yelp of surprise and annoyance as she slammed back against the car she had just begun to leave. She had definitely not expected someone to run into her, certainly not someone bulkier and evidently not looking where he was going.

Then again, given how her day had been going...."Figures." She muttered sullenly, torn between taking this opportunity to yell at someone and that voice that said that would be neither fair nor mature.

She settled for glaring at him and straightening the hem of her shirt. "No." She snapped, which she felt was the best she could manage in these circumstances. Anyway, he didn't look very sorry, so she didn't have to be too nice.

Or maybe she was just interpreting his expression as insincere because she wanted to be angry.

With that in mind she grudgingly added, "But it's not your fault." Mostly. "I locked my keys in my car. And my phone."

[Ezekiel Benedict]

Ezekiel paused.

For once, he didn't see how his powers could help. He doubted very much that the woman would want her vehicle damaged in any way in the process of extricating her keys slash phone. Unfortunately, mass manipulation was an inherently destructive power; he could reduce mass in order to effect a larger force on an object, or increase the mass of individual atoms to cause them to attract nearby atoms - fusing or opening most locks had become second nature after extensive practice - yet it tended to leave a somewhat irreparable after-taste.

Breaking a window seemed to be the most practicable option to him - she would have instant access to her phone and keys, clearing the glass would be a matter of moments, and if he were to break one of the rear passenger windows then risk of both injury from stray shards of glass and getting wet from rain coming in through the broken window would be minimised. A lighter window and heavier elbow could make slightly easier work of that, at least.

"Is there a spare key to the car at all?"

He was asking more out of hope then any genuine belief that she would have a key, but there were certain formalities to observe before offering to break another persons car window, he felt.

"If not, then I guess the quickest way to get to your keys is to break a window? Or, if you'd prefer, I could use my phone to call a locksmith? The names Ezekiel, by the way, Ezekiel Benedict."

[Tsukiko Aoki]

At the question of a spare key Tsukiko gaped in disbelief. How had she failed to think of that? And here she prided herself on being full of common sense.

Clearly her poor mood had robbed her of logic.


"Actually, there is. My boyfriend has it." She admitted, lighting up somewhat at this realization. Then her shoulders slumped again; Rome was at work, and she still didn't have a phone.


And she was in the presence of a completely crazy person, it turned out, as his next suggestion was precisely the opposite of anything she wanted to do.


"No, I do not want to break my window!" She yelped, glaring at her would be rescuer. "Are you serious, I like my windows where they are, thanks."

But then he offered a more sensible solution, and she ceased her grousing long enough to say, "Oh. Yes, calling a locksmith would be good."


Pause.


"Thank you."


After all, he was lending her his phone, so she couldn't be entirely ungrateful.