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</div><br/>It had grown cold… very cold.<br/><br/>It wasn’t only the cool night air Asura was noting then; it was the world around him. People, he had found, were very cold creatures. So much so that it pulled the question into his mind as to whether he wasted his time by being here. The question didn’t linger long, however, being pushed into the far reaches and dark corners of the back of his mind. Time was not wasted, not here, and not now. If he were to decide to walk away yesterday, or even tomorrow, this cold world was bound to suffer the consequences. He wasn’t one to let himself live with a forsaken responsibility like that.<br/><br/>Despite his best efforts, an ounce of frustration lingered, causing a gradual swelling in his chest that broke his concentration on what he was doing. He almost missed it when he saw her walking out onto the street, heading toward the-gods-know-where. Why was this one acting so strange? He had a hunch she might just be different than the others, which was why he’d been following her in the first place.<br/><br/>In total silence, his body moved along the shadows to trace after her. Asura’s brow furrowed while he observed her purposeful gait. Why was she out so late? Where was she trying to get to, and why? Something told him trouble was about to make itself known, if it hadn’t done so somehow already.<br/><br/>“<b>Come on now, don’t be like that baby.</b>”<br/><br/>Cold. He sighed softly to himself. Yes, the world was quite cold. Before he’d made an entire decision, Asura’s feet were now carrying him behind the advancing male. He could sense the girl’s fear, like smoke wafting from a flame. It sent adrenaline coursing through Asura’s veins for more than one reason. The next movements he made were instinctual more than anything, catching the man by the back of his collar and slamming him back against the wall. The girl was too preoccupied with getting away to look back, which served him nicely. He turned his full attention, for a brief moment, to the bag of sleaze struggling against his grip and snarling obscenities at him.<br/><br/>Part of him wanted to kill the man, simply because the world would do better without him. But he reminded himself at least vaguely that introductions were about to be in order. It wasn’t going to make a good impression on the frightened little doe if he took a life right there. Bearing this in mind, his hand turned into a fist and made solid contact with the man’s head. The force was enough he thought he might have heard bone cracking, but then that might have been his own hand, rather than the guy’s skull.<br/><br/>The frustration died down, but only for a second.<br/><br/>“<b>One…</b>” He heard her heavy breaths while she began to count, likely trying to gather courage. Asura sighed again to himself and slowly approached the corner of the building where she hid. “<b>Two…</b>” Undoubtedly, she was planning some sort of attack on the individual that had threatened her. He had to give her credit for trying to fight, at least. His hands rested on his hips as he waited for her to finish her count; it wasn’t worth startling her more than necessary to interrupt. “<b>Three!</b>”<br/><br/>There she was, brown hair swirling around her with the force of her sudden turn. Those vibrant eyes were full of fear, much like the first night he’d seen her, but that fear turned partially into confusion when she saw that it wasn’t her attacker standing there. It felt like a lifetime between the time she saw him and the moment her back made contact with the building behind her. In really, it was a mere second. Her fear was understandable, yet he couldn’t help but feel even more frustrated when she asked that question.<br/><br/>“<b>What am I?</b>” He repeated, frowning at her and debating how to approach things. He settled on forgetting boundaries and cutting to the chase. In one swift motion, he snatched the can of pepper spray from her hand and held it behind his back; he might not have been an ordinary man, but damn that stuff could hurt. “<b>What am I…</b>” He mused, looking down to the pavement at their feet. Maybe that wasn’t a bad question. It showed she wasn’t as dumb and oblivious as the rest of the sheep. What he wanted to know was how she remembered anything. She seemed to recognize him, he could see it in her eyes.<br/><br/>“<b>I don’t think you need to know,</b>” He said calmly, decidedly, trying to recompose himself after everything that happened. Adrenaline had his fingers trembling, which wasn’t like him. Something about this girl just… resonated. He couldn’t quite pin down what it was. “<b>What <i>is</i> important is why the hell you’re wandering alone at night like this. I thought you were a smart girl-- smarter than the rest of them.</b>” His voice dripped with disappointment, but at least for the moment the annoyance had abated. “<b>Go home. Now.</b>”