Shutterbugs, Dragonflies, and...Mercenaries?

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Nervous didn't begin to describe how she was feeling about their room situation (or the trip in general), but it was all in an effort to save money she reminded herself. Plus, nothing was going to happen. They were friends. Teammates. Nothing else, although Zach had kissed her...maybe getting a room together had been a mistake.

He just wants to get to know you...Relax...You're here to have fun, not stress about what his kiss meant.

Alexis shoved the memory of the stolen kiss from her mind. They were there to relax and have fun; no stressing allowed. As they exited the hotel music immediately greeted their ears and Alexis smiled, fangs peaking out from beneath her lips. Meat was what she had to consume in order to survive physically, but music fed her soul in a way nothing else could; except maybe flying. God she loved music in almost all its forms and momentarily closed her eyes as her head swayed with the notes floating across the air. She should have come to New Orleans long before now she decided in that moment, pale orbs finding Zach as she grinned up at him.

Though she hadn't said much since they'd left New York it was clear that her defenses to keep others out were lowered some. There seemed to be something in the air that just set her at ease, soothing the dragon hiding within. She blamed the music, but the heat in the air didn't hurt her comfort level either. She really was built for warmer temperatures.

"So...what first?" she asked excitedly, unable to keep from dancing a bit to the music filling the air. "Should we start drinking and just wander around? See what we can see?" She glanced up at her companion once more as they moved toward the mass of people wandering the streets in what seemed to be aimless packs.

@shutter @agentx

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Yes, very interesting. Part of him was focused on the potential prospect of sharing a bed with her, rather than sleeping in separate ones. There was no denying that he was a man attracted to a woman, and there was no sense in lying and saying he didn't want to get her clothes off. The only time Zach found lies acceptable was when it spared someone a hard truth that they simply didn't need to know, and this usually only applied to children. That said, he wasn't about to just up and tell Alexis that he wanted to rip her clothes off. That would be stupid.

See, unlike most men, Zach thought things through first, and put her ahead of him in the field of importance. That meant that she would be the one to decide when, or if, anything were to ever happen, not him. He would not pressure her, and he would not take advantage of her.

They exited the hotel to the sights and sounds of Mardi Gras. As per usual, there were a lot of street musicians, and people milling about. He knew about this a little bit from watching videos and the various cop shows on TV that covered this event. Naturally he expected to see plenty of law enforcement moving among the crowd, and he quickly spotted two as they walked down into the street itself. And, of course, people were paying beads to have women flash them. Not unexpected, but he refused to allow his eyes to linger.

"Well, I've already seen more than I needed to," he admitted, offering a slight chuckle. "Let's find a drink and then see what else we can see. New Orleans is one of the more beautiful cities on the planet, after all."

Even though much of it had been rebuilt after the hurricanes, it still maintained that same charm it was famed for. He actually looked forward to seeing the buildings more than drinking. The only thing more important to him was her. He gently took her arm, not to lead her, but so they didn't get separated.

"Lead on, mon ami."

@alexis @agentx

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"Said no straight man ever."

She laughed softly at his comment, her eyes almost instantly picking out the women flashing anyone willing to throw beads their way. The display didn't bother her, but then none of the women had anything she herself didn't have (except perhaps a larger cup size). Alexis wouldn't be participating in the endeavor to get any beads though. Seeing other women flash their breasts about was one thing, doing herself was something else entirely and the very thought made her insides squirm.

Nope. If anyone else were to ever see it her breasts it would be a private affair.

Shaking her head Alexis turned her attention and mind away from boobs, hers or otherwise, and again laughed at Zach. "Blind leading the blind here," she commented as she was forced to press against him as they stepped into the bustling crowds. The crowds moved like the sea, but with far less direction. For once her size didn't work against her as she was able to slip through the crowd with ease, unfortunately the same couldn't be said for Zach.

Slipping her arm from his she instead grabbed his hand, the leather of his gloves making her glance down for a moment; she hadn't noticed her was wearing them until that moment. Weird. She'd have to ask him about them when they weren't trying to keep from being swept away by the drunks. Tugging him along Alexis pulled them free of the crowd with a gasp for air that was perhaps a bit to dramatic, however, the excitement of doing something so outside her comfort zone was still fresh in her system. Plus the prospect of getting drunk and letting loose a bit helped.

"Let's try here," she commented over the noise of the crowd as she released Zach's hand to push the bar door open. The bar was crowded, but not nearly as crowded as she expected it to be. It was still rather early and given the number of drunks outside it seemed that they had arrived at exactly the right time; between rushes.

Slipping up to the bar Alexis was quick to order four shots of tequila for Zach and herself before glancing up at her much taller companion as he hovered at her back. If he was going tag along with her then he had best be ready for the harder stuff.

@agentx @shutter

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"Well, I said it and I'm straight as an arrow," he said, offering a smirk. "I have no interest in the breasts of random women. They aren't you."

Of course that might be taken as he had every interest in her breasts so he bluthered just a little before speaking again.

"Not to say that my only interest is yours. Just... The only person I desire to see naked is the one I fall in love with. Call me old fashioned, but that's the way I want to be."

Ok, best to shut up then before he dug himself an even deeper hole. Sometimes being the good little Christian boy backfired on him. It was true, though. He even wrote his own blockers for the internet to make sure that he never saw any nudity. Yes, he was that old fashioned. However, that wasn't to say that if the opportunity arose he would tell Alexis to keep her clothes on. He cared a great deal about her, after all. More than he'd ever cared for a woman before. He'd even told his sister about her in private when he'd had the chance. Which, now that he thought about, might have been a bit premature, but what's done is done.

They walked on and found a bar that wasn't as crowded as the street. She'd taken his hand by this point, which he was alright with. Inside they went, straight for the bar where she promptly ordered them each two shots of tequila. Strong stuff. He normally preferred it in his margaritas, but it would work alright as a shot. Would burn the crap out of his mouth, but at least he would feel good afterwards. As long as he didn't drink too many.

"Starting with tequila. You must really want to unwind."

He settled in next to her, releasing her hand and glancing up and down the bar. Past experience led him to want to get the lay of the land, just in case. This was supposed to be a fun outing, and there were plenty of police out and about, but he still liked to be cautious in new places.

"I'm ordering the next round, though."

@alexis @agentx

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Zach's confession made her pause as she slowly looked up at him. Did he just admit he was in love with her? It sure sounded that way and Alexis blushed, unsure how to react. She liked Zach, but love was a damn strong word to attach to someone, expecially someone you hardly knew.

Not the sort to believe in happy endings or love at first sight Alexis simply kept her mouth shut; it seemed like the only reasonable response. Downing one of her shots as though it were water she offered Zach a small smile as she slid the empty glass away from her. The perks of being a dragon was alcohol didn't seem to burn her throat like it did everyone else.

"If I was capable of handling beer I'd star with one, but since my stomach isn't a fan of anything that isn't water or liquor...well..." She smirked and shrugged her shoulders as though her limited diet was perfectly normal. "Think you can keep up?" she teased lightly, the jovial atmosphere doing wonders for her usually shy demeanor.

"Sounds good," she added as she downed her second shot. Sliding the now empty glass away Alexis allowed her pale gaze to drift across the bar. She wasn't expecting them to run into any sort of trouble, but being the sort of person accustomed to just watching others Alexis was more than curious about who was in the bar with them. New Orleans offered up a while different demographic of people to watch; it was exciting for her in a way most people wouldn't understand.

@agentx @shutter

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She blushed at what he said, which left him wondering if he'd said something he didn't mean to say. All he'd said was that he really only wanted to be with the person that he was meant to be with; the person he loved. Oh. OH! Ok, now he understood. But at the same time, this understanding left him confused because he did want to see her, and only her, in that way. Which, in his mind, meant that he maybe did love her? But how could that be the case considering they'd only just met a little while ago. They weren't even dating!

"Keep up? I doubt it. I'm not a heavy drinker."

He did spend most of his time refusing to go out with people when they begged him to do so. It made sense that, since he didn't often spend money to buy alcohol, he wouldn't be much of a drinker. That said, he did have some likes and dislikes when it came to alcohol. Tequila was alright, and he down the shots, though he did leave some time to breath between each one so he didn't kill over.

When she turned to watch their surroundings, he let his eyes rest solely on her. She was a remarkable being. He didn't understand why anyone would shun her. The fact that they had only made him want even more to keep her close to him. He didn't like the idea of her being alone. Was that what this was all about? No. Yes. Maybe. It was at least part of it that he didn't want her to be alone. The other part of it was that he felt a sort of deep seated connection to her. That and he found her incredibly beautiful and vibrant despite his inability to see color.

When the barkeep came back, he lifted his hand.

"Two vodka tonics. I'll take a slice of lime and a splash of pineapple juice in mine. Just the vodka tonic for the lady here."

The barkeep went to fill their order, yes he called them barkeeps in his head because he loved fantasy, and he turned back to her.

"I figure if we're going to get smashed, we have to have some vodka."

@alexis @agentx

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New Orleans had a different feel to it than any other place she'd ever been to before. Maybe it was just the celebration going on, but Alexis got the distinct impression that the locals were a bit more accepting than others. She sincerely doubted that they'd accept her as a dragon because, honestly, who in their right mind would? She was dangerous, but that didn't change the fact that Alexis felt that perhaps if she kept that part of herself hidden then maybe the rest could be shown without fear. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on her part or the alcohol was already starting to kick in, which she doubted, but New Orleans seemed like the sort of place a blue haired girl with razor sharp teeth could blend in.

Smiling to herself, Alexis eventually turned her attention from the other bar patrons and returned it to Zach. Pale orbs regarded him for a moment before shifting to the bar, their new drinks arriving a moment later. "Water gets boring after a while so...changing it up was almost required so I didn't lose my mind." She offered him a quick grin before her teeth were hidden behind her lips once more. Even if New Orleans felt oddly welcoming, Alexis wasn't apt to suddenly let go of years of habit.

"We can slow down if you want? I've got a decent tolerance for my size...not sure how much of that is because of the whole dragon thing or because I actually drink a decent amount," she shrugged, moving to knock her glass lightly against his before taking a small sip. "So long as we avoid anything with cinnamon and licorice I'm good with whatever you want," she added as she lazily stirred the contents of her drink.

As they sat there at the bar, both seemingly lost in their own minds, Alexis once more let her gaze drift about the crowd before returning her attention to Zach. "Thanks for coming with me...I know none of this really seems to be either of our things but..." she had no idea what she was trying to say and so she let her statement hang between them, a soft shrug of her shoulders closing out her words.

@shutter @agentx