<span style="color: #FF0000">Mind was already focused on tomorrow and what he had to do so that he did not hear her call out right away. The second time he did hear and stopped to face the person who had called out to him. Admittedly he was stunned for a couple of reasons, one being the fact that someone would just call out to him at that time of night and in that neighborhood. Second being that the person happened to be a rather attractive woman and he realized that he was not really well versed in this kind of social situation. Sure, to a room full of the homeless and needy he could lead a meeting about what changes they would like to see and what kind of programs that were available to them.  <br/> <br/>However, put him in a one on one with a woman and he kind of lost his confidence.  <br/> <br/>“Um...ye...yes?” he practically blurted out in an effort to get it all out. “Can I help you?”</span><br/><br/>The closer she got, the more attractive he became and the more her inner monologue turned begrudging. There’d been some small part of her, an insanely small part, that’d hoped that the rugged good looks were nothing more than a trick of fire’s light beneath the overpass. But, she should have known better. Hair slightly tousled, amber eyes catching the moon’s light just right, just the right amount of stubble…Had this been another situation, she may have actively pursued him.<br/><br/>Not stal-<span style="font-style: italic">….Followed with intent to ask for directions…</span><br/><br/>And then he spoke…and Mister Perfect didn’t seem so perfect anymore. His blurt had her blinking, stopping short, features scrunching a bit in their hesitance, their perplexed confusion at his loud…seemingly difficult outburst. “…I’m lost…” Chrys started, glancing around her, part of her wanting to keep an eye on things while the other part was actually looking for a land marker just in case this guy turned out to be no help at all. “…Could you tell me where I am, and possibly point me in the right direction?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> Alright, this was not his normal thing, but he could do this. It was not hard to talk to people, not hard to talk to her. <br/> <br/>“Umm....umm....”  <br/> <br/>Nope, not hard at all.  <br/> <br/>It took a moment, but he finally found a thought and the words to go along with it. “Ah, that would kind of explain why you don't look like you belong here,” he stated with a small smile. “Um...I am pretty familiar with the whole area, so um yeah I can help you. Where are you trying to get to?”</span><br/><br/>Her brow furrowed all the more as she struggled not to physically shake her head, the urge to cover her eyes to shield herself from his embarrassing lack of tact when it came to one-on-ones.<span style="font-style: italic">Apparently he’s better at talking to people in groups…and not alone…that’s…almost endearing.</span><br/><br/>The longer that moment lasted however, her head leaning forward in anticipation of something other than “um,” she was almost read to write it off as a lost cause. But then the words began to flow a little freer with a cute sort of smile, her eyes sliding to his lips while she took in the way just that small smile lit up his features, slipping back to his eyes; It took everything she had not to groan at how much like a puppy dog he was, so she let out a small sigh instead.<br/><br/>“…I’m not really sure of the street name, to be honest…” came her reply, a hand rubbing the back of her neck before returning to cross with the other in front of her. “I’m more of a landmark person…but nevermind, you seem…” A pause while she thought of the right word. “…Preoccupied… I’ll…figure it out…” Stepping passed him with a small shake of her head and starting in the direction he’d headed, she glanced back with an apologetic smile. “Thanks, anyway?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> Great...so smooth, now she would rather face the streets alone.  <br/> <br/>“Wait!” voice pitched a bit too high, but for the moment he ignored that and moved to come abreast of her. “It is not really, well, safe for you to be out here alone. Not to say that you can't take care of yourself, but there is a safety in numbers,” he lowered his hood for a moment and glanced about the area then back to her. “If you can tell me what you saw, I should be able to get us there?”  <br/> <br/>Even if he had been unable to help her, he would have insisted he walked with her until she got at least closer to her home. Perhaps, he would have also hailed a cab for her, to get home safely. Who knows, she might not be able to tell him anything that helps her get home, but at least he would feel better knowing she was not alone on these streets.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Three…two…one…</span>A mental ding went off as his voice called out for her to wait, though her steps didn’t falter.<span style="font-style: italic">A predictable puppy dog…</span><br/><br/>“Is this area…really as bad as you make it out to be?” she asked as he offered her assistance that she didn’t outright accept. “You’ve been fine out here on your own, by the sounds of it, and are out here, alone, tonight as well…” It was merely an observation, but an observation nonetheless. “Why would it be so wrong for me to be out here alone?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">“Oh, well, I have a penis....that kind of prevents me from general harassment from people,” he said without a second thought as to how that might not have been appropriate. “And I do look like I can handle myself rather well, even if that might not be entirely true,” he laughed at himself and looked about the area a bit. “Not to mention, there is an overpass over there,” he turned to point. “Where there are some people pretty desperate for any little bit of anything. A young girl was attacked their recently, though luckily her parents were able to fight them off,” he felt like he rambled a bit as he stood there with this desire to help but not feeling comfortable on how to press the issue properly without giving the impression he was some creeper himself.</span><br/><br/>Her eyes widened only a hair when he was so blunt with her, initially.<span style="font-style: italic">…So you’ve a penis…and can admit in in that fashion…but couldn’t come up with something more than a stammered ‘uhm’….interesting.</span>It was odd, to say the least, but she kept her facial expression as it’d been moments before his explanation. “But, how do you know that I am, in fact, a woman?” she asked wryly, head tilting to the side a bit as she continued to walk, her pace slowing as she didn’t want to stray without his guidance. “I could be pre-op for all you know…besides, what interest is it to you whether a stranger makes it home safe or not?” The tone was inquisitive, in a light, offhand fashion; Not accusatory or suspicious as she sought to flush out how he thought, how he ticked, to gauge how he worked.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “Huh?” it took him a moment to get what she insinuated. When it did finally register, he blushed a bit to only once again rush to catch up to her. “Oh...um...no you don't look like that to me, at all. But even then, you would have to deal with the other kinds of harassment and that just does not sit well with me,” he tried to explain. “I just would feel bad if something happened to you, when it would be just a matter of me walking you home,” then after a moment. “Or at least out of this neighborhood and then a point in the right direction,” another pause, which to him just made him feel like even more the rambling fool. “Oh....my name is Elijah Maddox, so now at least we are less strange to one another?” he offered a shy and uncertain smile a hand held out to shake her own in introduction.</span><br/><br/>His confusion made her actually put a palm to her face.<span style="font-style: italic">Dear mother of god, don’t make me expl-THANK GOD,</span>she thought as he caught on, the blush not unnoticed. Instead, it became a prominent feature, even if slight, and it was an endearing feature that made her have to stifle a groan in the form of a throaty cough.<br/><br/>Then came his hand shake, and the offered smile, which left her with a dilemma.<span style="font-style: italic">If I touch him…he could think something’s off…or he could think that I’m merely in need of more help than I spoke of, that I’ve been out for longer in the cold than he may have thought…</span>The decision weighed on her as she eyed his hand briefly before shaking it. “Well then, Elijah Maddox,” Chrystal repeated, as though to remember the name with the face, “Can you point me in the direction of the park with the statue of that man…I think there’s a pizzeria and maybe a Chinese restaurant near it? And a lake…there’s a lake. Any of that ring a bell?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">No name given back, that threw him off just a bit. Normally people gave their name in answer back when you volunteered your own. Add to that the extra chill to her hand, which made him think that she had been lost for a while and finally decided to take a chance and ask someone.  <br/> <br/>A brief pause, his hand still held her own, as he looked about the area for a second and then smirked, “This way!” Excitement in his voice as he lead her in the direction of those landmarks, “So, Lost Girl, did you come to the city for business or pleasure?”</span><br/><br/>Another pause.<span style="font-style: italic">He’s not well versed in this…confident discussion thing…</span>she thought, the overtone wry, though with an inward smile. She’d have thought more on it had he not suddenly yanked her along with a child-like excitement, nor called her ‘Lost Girl’ and inquire more about her. Picking up pace to fall into step with him, she glanced down at her hand, and back up with him with a perked brow, her hand then dropped so that it could re-cross her chest with its fellow arm. However, all she did was look forward, remaining silent, not divulging any information as it wasn’t his place to know, nor her place to give it.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Wait for it…</span>she thought to herself, the silence becoming deafening by the minute, and, if he was true to form, he’d fill it.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"> “Ok, so maybe a bit of both?” he offered into the silence that he was compelled to fill. “I myself am not native here. I grew up a bit further south,” he explained. “Lived with just my mom for a bit and then…,” there was a bit of a pause while he tried to not dwell on his mother. “Then I lived with my grandmother, who lives outside the city. About 30 minutes or so to the north, so I tend to go there on the weekends for dinner and to help out about the house with her,” he continued.  <br/> <br/>Steps slowed for a moment as he thought about where to go next, before they resumed their pace once again as he took a different turn. “What do you like to do in your free time?” he asked, though he had a feeling that he would not get any information from her, he still tried.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">A southern gentleman,</span>Chrys thought, looking at him through her peripheral, not willing to make full eye contact.<span style="font-style: italic">But that pause…his mother died…she had to have…and he sees his grandmother on weekends to help her out? Dear god, could you get any more bleeding heart?!</span>A mental kick later, and she was tuning back into the conversation, following his lead without much pause.<br/><br/>And, rather than answer his question, she turned it back on him. “What do you do when you’re not helping the christened ‘lost girl’ strangers of the city find their way back to a known area?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">Again, she does not answer but instead turned the question back on himself, which he was more than happy to fill. “I volunteer that various shelters, both of the human and animal kind,” he offered with a small laugh. “On most of my nights I am out here, on the streets handing out food, blankets and on the rare occasion money as well,” he answered without hesitation.  <br/> <br/>Another pause and he took another block, “So, do you have any siblings? Or are you the only lost girl?”</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">AREYOU SERIOUS?!</span>she thought with exasperation, mentally throwing up her hands in annoyed disgust.<span style="font-style: italic">What’s next?! Helping the elderly with their groceries on their way home, handing out condoms and childsupport to hapless hookers, sporting a cape and running around the city as the unofficial Batman?!</span><br/><br/>“Do you always question strangers while helping them figure out where they’re going?” she asked instead, slanting a sidelong glance at him.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">“No, but most people I help at least exchange their names with me,” he said with a grin. “Because, once we exchange names, we won’t be strangers anymore, right?” he asked in an effort to prove his point before he stopped suddenly. “Alright. We are here,” he said and nodded toward the statue, then the park with a lake. “Think you can find your way home from here?”</span><br/><br/>“<span style="font-style: italic">A rose by any other name,</span>” she replied to that before glancing around. Lo and behold, she was back in familiar territory, nodding with a small smile. “Think I can, indeed; Thank you, Elijah, for your help,” she added taking a few steps away from him to start off on her walk home.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000">“You’re welcome, Lost Girl,” he called out and waved to her. “If you are in need of further direction just try to bump into me again…” <br/> <br/>With that done, Elijah kind of just stood there for a moment before he finally just turned and headed back home once again. The glance to his watch told him he was going to have a rough time getting up for work, but he would admit the night certainly did turn out much better than he thought that it would.</span><br/><br/>“I’ll be sure to do that,” she called back to him over her shoulder, the slightest of smiles on her lips, though she didn’t look back.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Just remember…it’s not stalking. It’s following…in the shadows…He asked for it, anyway, telling me to bump into him…</span>Chrys justified to herself.<span style="font-style: italic">It’s completely justified…</span>