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 Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:57 am
The Senshi of Wine snatched up his chaperone from where it had fallen onto the pavement at some point into the battle, and hurried along with Babylon. He nodded, head bobbing as he was pulled along, and wondered where they were going. Although that answer would probably come soon, or so he hoped; Vin also wondered just what, exactly, this Babylon fellow was.
"What exactly is a Page?" he asked when he had the chance. "I can't say I've seen any other Pages before." Babylon didn't feel evil like the youma had, at least, but Vin was still wary.
But then the subject changed to Chinatown and the direction changed to up. Vin has been to a fish market once, in Italy, when his aunt had talked him into getting up early to see what it was like at the crack of dawn; not a wholly terrible experience, and because of it he had never found the smell of a fish market disagreeable. Nor was climbing, at least not anymore, since he was powered up. But, well, Vindemiatrix always felt better if he knew where he was going and when he was coming back.
"Where is it you're taking me?" he asked finally, wondering momentarily what to do with his damp hat. The black-haired boy finally settled on just putting it on his head long enough to climb, and did so before jumping up to the fire escape and grasping the ladder. "I just stick to a sort of schedule with my patrols, is all...." Vin did not want to be rude, but he did not want to be out too late cavorting around in his tights on rooftops.
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Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 11:44 am
"A page is like a little baby knight," said Babylon, rocking back and forth against the railing. "We're good guys, I promise. We used to serve the senshi. Way back when. Like, I'm Babylon of Mercury - it means I used to help protect the first rock from the sun." He was pretty sure that was how it worked. Mostly he was just extrapolating on what Lina had said and what he'd seen, without ever mentioning the fact that his own ancestor had looked at him and shaken his head in shame.
"If I'm your first," he added, rogueish grin reappearing on his face, "Then I hope I'm making a good impression so far." Babylon circled the senshi slowly, a hand clasped thoughtfully to his chin. "I can't say I've met a huge number of senshi... You're only the second."
The first didn't count. He wasn't allowed to flirt with Dietrich. Well, he was, but it didn't do him much good. You never got anywhere flirting with Gianfar because he knew all the tricks and he knew you and he knew eventually you'd stop. As for Vin... Well, Babylon supposed that maybe people always looked more attractive when they'd just saved your life, but that couldn't possibly be all there was to it.
He stopped his pacing and took a few steps towards the senshi. "I'm not planning on holding you up. I mean, we could... go together."
To be truthful, he didn't know where they were right now and hadn't had any kind of plan beyond 'get out of the alley.' but Vin didn't need to know that.
At this point, Babylon was just trying to see if he was going to get a more opportune moment, and right now was just stalling for time while he evaluated all the possible outcomes of this situation.
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Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:47 pm
Joining Babylon on the landing, Vindemiatrix nodded and swept his hat off, brushing gloved fingers through damp hair again. He was now realizing that the Page was flirting with him, or was probably flirting with him, which did not really help his confusion so much. The Senshi of Wine was finally allowing himself a good look at the other boy, now that there was no monster getting in the way.
He was willing to go along with Babylon for now, but a part of the senshi mistrusted the sincerity of his compliments. Vin, in his normal life, had had other boys mess with him before, and so he was not eager to let on to a stranger that he might actually be interested. And Vin was not sure if he was or not just yet; he had only just met the other boy.
And, well, he was a magical boy in a skirt and hose. It would not be the first time someone made fun of him.
"Go together where?" he pressed, not wanting to seem too outwardly suspicious, just wanting a destination. The senshi was willing to trust the part about the Knights fighting alongside the senshi, at least, since the boy with the glowstick had been an enemy of the youma, and was not giving off that negative energy feeling.
The thing he trusted least of all at the moment, really, was that Babylon had a plan.
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Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 10:36 pm
Babylon hesitated. He was still weighing his options and genuinely, desperately trying to not kill the mood. Not that there was much of one to begin with - they were two teenaged boys standing on a roof that smelled faintly of fish, and they both reeked of adrenaline and narrowly-averted terror. "Well, anywhere, really," he said lowly. As far as pickup lines went, it was not his best ever, although it narrowly avoided being his worst. The page steeled himself - he was really, truly not going to get a better moment.
He took hold of Vin's cheeks and kissed him full on the mouth.
It was not perfect. In fact, it was sweaty, and wet, and kind of tremendously awkward for all ten seconds of it. In a superhero movie, this kiss would have called for another take and been left on the cutting room floor. But Babylon came away grinning, because it was what he'd wanted to do for at least the last ten minutes, and he had not been slugged - yet, at least.
"Thank you," said the Page, clearing his throat, "For saving my life."
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 11:34 am
On Vindemiatrix's end, time sort of slowed to a stop as the other boy kissed him. Not like with lens blurs or sparkles like in a soap opera, but sort of more like when Neo dodged bullets in The Matrix. He had long wondered if he was interested in boys. If he was interested in girls, too, or not. If it really mattered. If his parents cared, if his friends cared. How awful the rest of high school would be if anyone else found out.
But on the other hand, he was here on a roof in the uniform of a magical army, like a disguise without a mask. Vin was exactly like a superhero, and no one had to know his secret human identity. Maybe Andrea had to wonder about the social high school repercussions of being gay, or even just kissing a boy or being kissed by a boy, but Vindemiatrix did not.
The Senshi of Wine put his hands on the Page's shoulders, to sort of hold himself up, or hold Babylon up if he needed it, or whatever, but did not stop him from backing away when he was done.
And then a giggle made of nerves escaped his lips and he nodded. "Oh, uh, sure. No problem. It's what senshi are supposed to do, right?" Was there anything he could have said that would not sound stupid?
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 1:10 pm
Babylon had not been punched in the face, and that in alone was cause for him to smile. He had never felt any particular angst over his sexual orientation - doubtlessly the result of an extremely liberal upbringing - and so remained unaware of whatever mental calisthenics that Vindemiatrix may have been running through. He said, "An entire squad of super police dedicated to rescuing me? I could get used to it. Or did you just mean you? Either way, really."
Babylon lipped his lips curiously. Huh. Did he detect an aftertaste of Manischewitz, or was he just imagining that? It seemed to demand further investigation. He considered it, decided that this was already going very well, and reached out to cup Vindemiatrix's chin in his hands.
He kissed the senshi again, for a little bit longer this time, and didn't come to any real conclusions about the taste. He would have to test this scientifically - several kisses, several nights, make detailed observations. Really Babylon was too giddy to figure this out right now.
"So, patrol," said Babylon quietly, keeping his face close. "Why don't you lead the way?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 8:41 pm
Vindemiatrix laughed at Babylon's question, primarily because his brain was doing a terrible job of coming up with anything intelligent to say, and shrugged. He was finally formulating a response involving a desire to be allies with the Knight, because that seemed the safest and perhaps most professional reply as far as being a senshi was concerned, but it all sort of fell apart and ended up going unsaid when the other boy kissed him again.
His expression was one of surprise when Babylon withdrew again, but not displeased surprise. Well, if nothing else, he would not be able to get to bed right away with the way he was sort of tingling with energy now. Vin barely knew this Babylon fellow, but here he had been the first boy to kiss him. There might be worries about this later, on his part, but for the immediate moment, the Senshi of Wine felt like he could take on ten or twelve more youma.
Patrol? "Oh, yeah, sure." Damp hat went back onto his head without a care in the world; the wet made it stay better at a tilted angle, right? "We'll make sure Chinatown is safe before we go," Vin suggested, unable to stop grinning, and made his most graceful ballet jump from the fire escape landing to the low roof of the next building over to get them started.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 9:19 pm
"Babylon and Vin, protectors of Chinatown," mused the page, following the senshi with a much less dainty leap. He was either unpracticed or naturally uncoordinated, in sharp contrast from his new ally's graceful movements.
"I rather like the sound of that!" he declared as he landed. And despite the lateness of the hour, at that moment, the night felt young.
End.
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