To See The Stars

Hitomi wandered in the gathering darkness, her eyes changing as she walked to be as she preferred, a cat-like gaze that would be quite unnerving to behold. The bodice of her princess-like dress was garnished to behold her status, a banished princess. Her eyes flashed gold as she looked up to the stars, hoping that on this lonely night that someone would come to ease her loneliness. She had been alone for quite a while now, and companionship was something she would greatly value.

*lovely nightfall. Jening loved the night. It was different, this type of night. Jening was used to cities, bright enough to block out the pretty lights in the sky. And so he was laying in the grasses, half dressed in a white dress shirt and a fine black silk tie. The shine of his leather shoes shone fully in the moonlight as he gently hummed a peaceful melody to himself. Stopping, as he heard a sound of the grasses wilting under feet not his own, Jening smirked and closed his dark eyes, letting his darker hair fall over his eyelashes. Concentrating his ears, he lay still for a moment to listen: the footsteps were not hostile, just curious. jening relaxed then and tilted his head side to side, continuing his melody*

Hearing the humming, Hitomi paused. Who was it? She stopped as the humming did, now aware that the stranger knew that she was there. She had taken off those ridiculous high heeled boots some time ago, and held them in her left hand as she continued carefully on. She loved the feel of the grass beneath her bare feet. She concentrated for a moment, letting her eyes adjust back to look human, but she could still see in the starlight just as well. Tentatively, she called out, "Hello? Is there someone there? I can hear you." She noted the fact that the humming had started up again.
A fresh breeze blew through the grasses, and the blades swayed serenely at around ankle height. She cast her eyes about, looking for the musician, the source of that melodic tune.

*hearing the female voice, a grin spread across his mouth, white teeth in the dark like a mischevious Cheshire Cat. His voice deepened suddenly as he shouted beyond the short green grasses that concealed him in the dark*

"Girl...you should have not come to this place........."

*staying still for a second, he chuckled a little. Jumping up, he stood to his feet, hands in his pockets. He was actually closer than he had anticipated and with his cat like eyes, he took in the look of the long flowing dress and the heels in the woman's hands. Jening's grin was now much more welcome. Tiliting his head, his eyes caught hers and he spoke in his normal, melodic voice*

"Or something like that!"

She was startled as he suddenly jumped up, and she half started to change her appearance to grace her with the speed of an animal before she heard what he said. Hitomi was not much of a fighter, and so far he frightened her. His welcoming smile confused her for a moment before his voice went back to normal, and she relaxed. "I'll wander where I please, for I have nowhere to call home. What do they call you?" She asked, letting her eyes flick back to being their golden and cat-like appearance.

*he studied her eyes for a moment, noticing their vivid golden color, then smirked. He rocked playfully upon the heels of his shoes, bowing his head low to clear his throat. Jening's voice then came out quite clear and loud as it usually did*

"I hope I did not scare you too much miss! I am Unite S Jening, or just call me Jening if you prefer! And..."

*he approached her now, taking a slight gentlemanly bow. The action slightly creased well pressed black pants, his revolver on his left side cracked softly against the metal hook that held it. Looking up, Jening cracked a very casual smile, mesmerizing with his dark eyes*

"You are welcome here anytime, Princess."

*Jening quietly spoke the title without knowing how true it was*

She masked her shock as he spoke of a title that was no longer truely hers by replying, "I wasn't all that frightened, Jening. And thank you, but I no longer hold the title of princess. That was taken from me some time ago." There was a wistfulness to her voice as she remembered her past.
Her father, the king whom she hardly knew, and the kind smiling face of whom she believed to be her mother... She was pulled from her daydreams by Jening's eyes. Oh, how deep and soulful they appeared! And the most curious thing... They were cat-like as well. Hitomi imagined they'd make quite the pair, if seen together, a pair of oddities. However, that wouldn't absolutely be a bad thing.
"I am Hitomi, and it is a pleasure to be formally introduced to you." She curtsied. Noticing the instrument at Jening's hip, she eyed the pistol warily. She didn't particularly like guns.

*noticing her uneasiness, he pointed flipped it from the holster like a pro. In one snap, he smoothly pointed it to her dark haired head amidst her curtsy. The silver shone against the gun, the moonlight gave it menace...yet the wind seemed to laugh. Before she could look up, he pulled the trigger slowly, the pin in the back made a very distinct click that would follow with a shot.......

but it never came*

"Bang."

*Jening tilted his head to look at her a smile, then comically looked confused at the revolver. He shook it like it would make a difference, then shrugged his shoulders, sticking out a tounge and mockingly spouting out:*

"Well would you look at that! Jening didn't load it!!"

*he laughed softly. The revolver went limp in his hand, the barrel pointed to ground. In one flick of his wrist, he switched the gun so the handle pointed to her, a sign that he was not to harm her and never meant to*

"And even if it was loaded it wouldn't be able to do anything. Jening wouldn't use this to harm innocent people anyway."

*if she was still in a curtsy, he placed a hand on her head, and if she were standing again, he placed it upon her shoulder. A reassuring hand nonetheless*

"And with your past....don't think too much of it! Jening's past is a colorful one indeed, but we're people all the same! Don't be so formal. Afterall, if you were once a princess, Jening would probably be the royal jester."

*he winked, then placed the revolver back onto his hip where it dulled under his shadow*

Her eyes were still wide after Jening had put the gun away, her pulse still racing. Somehow though, his smile once again calmed her. The reassuring gesture was most welcomed by Hitomi. She had straightened awhile ago, so his hand fell upon her shoulder. "You have an odd way of speaking. Why do you speak as though you were outside yourself? But for the formalities, it is simply how I was brought up. I cannot help it." She kept her eyes from wandering to the gun, and instead studied Jening's features, keeping her face carefully blank.

*his hand fell, sliding from her shoulder*

"What ever do you mean? Jening speaks like he is out of himself???"

*his expression was genuinely confused like he knew not what she was speaking of at all. Either way he smiled, then grandly gestured with his hands to the rest of her speech*

"And of course you can change! Jening'll tell you a secret."

*Coming closer, not close enough to touch body to body, but enough so she may catch the scents of his cologne and the dew of the night and his silk tie hit her the top of her blouse, he said*

"Once upon a time Jening never liked royalty. Those kings and queens he never liked at all!"

*Jening chuckled, breaking eye contact. He bashfully scratched his head while his left foot crossed behind his right one*

"Probably because Jening and his friends were dirt poor, but..."

*he managed to give a slight of a smile again, white teeth between lips*

"But I think I like princesses like you jus' fine."

His scent entoxicated her, jumbling her thoughts. She was careful to recover quickly, however. She quickly forgot about the first thing he said, and instead, his little story was what she listened carefully to. At the last line she smiled. He had spoken like he was truely himself, for the first time since she'd met him. "That is a charming tale, Jening. I myself have always cared for everyone, and I value not one class above another."
She herself didn't bear an exact scent, but instead held one such as the crisp breeze, with the scents of evergreens and the north wilderness.

*as observant as he usually was, he took a step backwards after realizing her reaction. His eyes glanced to the full moon, then back at Hitomi. They were a bit serious now*

"Jening thinks the same. Everyone should have some sort of chance anyway right?"

*he took a seat in front of her, hoping she didn't mind, and took out a flask, the inside of it completely concealed from the skin that surrounded it. Holding it in his left hand, he looked up and patted the grasses next to him to signal for her to sit*

"Well...Hitomi...what would you like to drink?"

Hitomi sat beside Jening, arranging her skirts carfully around her. She laid the boots off to the side, and then looked over to him. "Well, what is it that you have to offer, my friend?" She asked politely.

*his right hand loosened the tie around his collar, tilting his neck to the left to help. The black tie hung loosely down upon his chest, and he unclasped the top buttons of the white shirt. The fabric was loose, exposing a slither of tanned skin beneath it. The tie slowly slid out of its knot and hung like a snake around his neck. Clearing his throat, Jening spoke*

"Anything you'd like, bella! Just name it."

Hitomi smiled, trying to keep her eyes slowly on Jening's face, even as he went through the entire unbuttoning the top of his shirt... She found it a task almost impossible, for her eyes strayed once or twice to trace the skin he had just exposed. She cleared her throat, then spoke, "Oh, uhm, tea please. Two sugars and a cream?"

*staring at the flask, he held it in his left while his right hovered over the top. An aura of a grey silver appeared around him, contrasting against his black hair, fluttering his clothes. He spoke the words slowly from his lips, near lazily*

"Abra Kadabra."

*Jening breathed in. The wind suddenly picked up a little, flapping the loose collars. Then joyfully, he passed her the tanned flask, the sound of liquid splashing against the sides.*

"Drink up."

*smoothly, he put his arms behind his head and stretched out to look at the night sky. It was beautiful, as it was before he had left his gaze from them. He rested his dark and piercing, yet soft and ageless eyes, lashes closing like doors sealing. His ears pricked to hear, to listen to the sounds the night offered: the crickets in the background, a sound like vast empty space of peace.

Then suddenly remembering something, he spoke up*

"Jening hopes you like water."

*with his eyes still closed, he grinned like a mad jackal*

"Thank-you. Water is just fine." She laughed, then drank the water. She had actually thought for a second there that he would actually perform a transmutation or something of the like. After a sip or two, she placed the flask on the top of his chest, then she too laid back, looking up at the stars. "It's so peaceful tonight, don't you think, Jening?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah...it is."

*he joined in her sentimental voice, though his eyes were now occupied on trying to balance the flask upon his own chest. The tin swayed a bit as he tried not to laugh and shake it more, but..*

"..Ups! And there it goes."

*the flask fell off and he frowned, his cheeks red in embarrassment, slightly from performing so rudely in front of a lady and because he couldn't balance it longer than he thought he could. Jening joined her now in looking up at the sky*

"Jening loves the night. It's quiet and it smells good."

She giggled a bit when Jening couldn't balance the tin, but she didn't notice when his cheeks flushed. She breathed deeply, well aware of the precise scent of the man next to her, but she tried to extend her senses beyond him. Not to be rude, but simply to explore the night. "I much prefer night to day. The day is much too hectic and confusing, don't you think?" Her eyes stayed to the stars, and she folded her hands onto her stomach.

"Days are alright. Jening is used to both, days and nights. Nights are just his favorite!"

*he breathed in, not very deeply, but he was able to take in just as much. A new scent of a crisp breeze was in the air and he recognized that it was the scent of Hitomi herself. He turned his head, towards her, but his eyes instead watched his own fiddlings with the grass next to him. His arm slid out of position and long fingers idly pulled and pinched the green next to him*

"Well Hitomi, tell Jening a little more about yourself! Like what she likes to do on weekends."

*he laughed a little*

She watched him out of the corner of her eye, but traced out a few constellations before she spoke, "Well Jening, I don't really do much, truth be told. I suppose my first love would be equitation, though I haven't had a horse since I was a little girl." She laughed a bit.

*he nodded, a bit jealous. he never rode a horse before, yet for some reason, despite his amazing balance, he would think he would be quite bad at it*

"Well! If you could do anything what would it be?"

"Hmm.. Perhaps set sail for a few days?" She said, thinking about it even as she spoke the words. She had some nautical experience, and perhaps it would be fun.

*to that, he raised his dark head just a little in interest to her statement*

"Oh! To sail! That sounds quite adventurous, miss! Perhaps some day we shall find a boat and Jening'll steer you where ever you wish. Jening has been a lot of places and knows a lot of languages."

*he rolled over on his side to look at her and smirked, his eyes looked up at her*

"That is if you're interested."

"Why I'd be delighted if you brought me along for such a journey!" Hitomi smiled, looking to his direction. She met his eyes, and she studied them carefully. It was interesting to see.. She also took in his handsome features before returning her eyes to the sky. "I'd like that quite a bit, actually."