>> “And for those of us who are unable to fit down the chimney with a satchel large enough for everything. What would such a person get you as a trinket on Christmas Day?”

She shrugged. Christmas wasn't one of Seyta's strong points. She sent cards to people and left it alone. Not to mention she did have a large pile of cash sitting in a shoe box back in her apartment. Still... there was that ka-bar she had during the dream... "There is one thing... Kinda strange but..." Seyta wasn't sure if David was a part of the dream. She had seen him but wasn't sure if he would remember anything.. "Its Kinda strange but... I'd like a knife." The Best Buy was just ahead of them now. She gave him a smile and picked up her pace. "I'll tell you more about what kind when we finish in here."

“A knife?” Sledge asked, incredulous. Strange indeed. Not knives, as in flatware, but knife, as in singular. He chuckled at it, brushing aside her seriousness. After all, he had seen her wearing a silken dress with roses on it. That's not the sort of thing that you do when you want an assault weapon. But Sledge could see that she was not joking. “You're serious?” Sledge leaned away from Seyta slightly, giving her a nervous sort of smile, “I know that you are usually mad at me, but I dinnit think that it was anything worth murdering.”

He was only half joking. She was acting all friendly and flirtatious now, but he had clear, fuzzy memories of her being angry at him, though the reasons for such behavior never was clear to him. Up until now he had just assumed that she was being a fickle lady. Now he was wondering if maybe she had just been insane. Then again, who can predict the mind of a woman. If ever there was a man who was able to do so, there would have been a book that was published by now, and men wouldn't be struggling anymore.

At the Best Buy store, it was time to get back into the working mode. Rummaging around in his bag for a minute, Sledge extracted an exercise weight. Five pounds to be exact. While he could easily break through the display windows with his powers, his arms weren't invulnerable to cuts, and he didn't want to waste his time plucking out bits of glass, or steming the flow of blood. Besides, having the glass broken by something more conventional, it made it seem as though anyone might have broken in. Said weight was thrown at the window, where, with a little help from mutation enhanced speed, it shattered and fell through. “I believe the saying is ladies first.”

>> “A knife? You're serious? I know that you are usually mad at me, but I dinnit think that it was anything worth murdering.”

She chuckled and shook her head. ”Not you. Things have well...changed recently and I want to get a little protection.” That and the Future she had seen was still a possibility, she was determined to be ready if it happened. ”Knifes are easier to use and deal with that guns anyway.”

As they reached the store Seyta watched curiously as he broke through the window. Stealing when a store was closed was honestly a new concept to her. It might be awkward but she would defiantly keep an eye on David to make sure she didn't fall behind, or go overboard.

>> “I believe the saying is ladies first.”

With a grin she hopped thought the shattered glass into the store. Despite the power outage she looked around nervously. The idea of being caught on camera scared her; her costume changed her features enough that it wouldn't matter anyway but she still worried. ”So, where to start?”

At least it wasn't because of him that Seyta wanted a knife. Good to know that he wasn't being chatted up only to get stabbed later on. Sledge could understand Seyta's planning security for the future. He might have forgotten her when they were heading off for bagels, but he couldn't shake that realistic, and strange dream. He had to get his flat more security. It wasn't enough to just trust in the building's ties to the Sanctuary. Of course, his flat being ramsacked may have had something to do with him handing over detailed maps of its floor plans. Still would be prudent for him to make plans against what he dreamed of. The crowd's attention was about the only good thing from being in the Pit fights. "Of course. Have to do some security work meself,"

Sledge watched as Seyta climbed through the entrance that he had made for them, once more appreciating her choice in Halloween apparel. Women might not be dressed in the most sensible fashion this night, but when you've been pursuing a bird for so long with little or no success, seeing her dressed such a way was a nice reward. With watching her Sledge couldn't help but to notice her hesitation. "Yeh worried?" he asked, a little shocked by the words he said. He'd only just learned that Seyta walked on his side of the law, and that knowledge, to him, meant not being concerned to head inside the store. Anyone could do a B& E, just as anyone could lift stock from a store. If she really did this sort of thing, why did it make a diference if he was there. "Way I figgure it, should the electrics come on when we're in there, we've got a couple o' minutes ta get out while the systems reboot."


Shopping with Seyta was wildly successful. Carrying not only his own bags, but the lady's as well, proved to be an excellent work out for his arms. To an outside observer, it would look as though Sledge's punches were destructive because of strength. It made sense as well. Nobody ever really thought of the importance of momentum and speed in a punch A car crash was thought of as more disasterous with larger cars, but even a little VW bug can reduce another car to scrap metal if it strikes at a high speed. They were returning to their apartment complex with an excellent haul, and before the knight returned the lady fair to her home, he needed to drop his "purchases" off in his flat.

But all things told, this had been a good evening with Seyta. The usual awkwardness that he couldn't understand, but rather civil on both parts. With the power now out in their block as well, taking the lift had been out of the question, and Sledge paused on the landing. Her apartment was one floor down, he remembered, and he didn't want her walking there alone. There was a menacing feel to this night. If he was a knight, he'd be honor bound to protect her right? "I don't suppose you'd like to stop in me flat for a cuppa? I've got candles."

>> "I don't suppose you'd like to stop in me flat for a cuppa? I've got candles."

Seyta shrugged. Since the power was still out she didn't exactly feel like trying to navigate her hallway alone. Although David would have to bring her purchases to her room anyway. On the other hand, keeping him some company wouldn't be to bad. Sine they did have a nice night.

“Sure, not sure what you plan on drinking. My stove is electric anyway so no coffee or tea. Unless you have something else in mind.” She turned and looked towards the barely lit stairway. David lived in the same building but she wasn't sure what floor it was. Hopefully not much farther than hers.

Sledge chuckled, though his joy inside his mind was greater than that, and his eyes lit up like fireworks. Seyta had agreed to come to his flat. His intentions were pure. Mostly. There was the want to impress her and maybe get her to be a little sweet on him. But honestly he wasn't going to try to do anything with her that his mum and da would object to. "Cuppa usually means tea, but I druther have coffee. A little thing like no electrics doesn't keep you from making a 'alfway decent brew."

Of course it's easier to do such a feat if you have a wood burning stove or a fireplace to hang the kettle from. Sadly New York lacked in that. Something about safety standards. Given that New York was probably filled with mutants who were highly combustable, it made sense. How Sledge planned to rig up a way to boil water was still unclear to him. "Unless you want something a little stronger than coffee. I've things that aren't in the icebox."

Tucked away in a little cupboard over his range, Sledge kept a collection of hard liqours. Mostly they were ignored, for a beer at the end of the day was enough for him. There were days though when Sledge felt the distance between himself and his home country more than others, and his mind tried to convince him that he really did miss it. Such homesickness was best dealt with by getting entirely bladdered.

>> "Cuppa usually means tea, but I druther have coffee. A little thing like no electrics doesn't keep you from making a 'alfway decent brew. Unless you want something a little stronger than coffee. I've things that aren't in the icebox."

Coffee, almost how their first "date" ended. Not a bad Idea after all the shopping they had done, and it was easier to chat over coffee than anything strong. Well, easier to keep things in check when chatting anyway. "Coffee's fine, but I'd till live to see how you manage to get hot water." Maybe a splash of the strong stuff to help relax things a bit would be a nice touch though. That would make explaining about the dire want for a Knife and her strange dream a bit calmer.

"Let's drop off my bags since we have to pass my floor anyway, saves us carrying them twice, and then we can head up to your place." Of course, Seyta had no idea how many floors above hers Davids apartment was. He mentioned that he lived above her once before but no details. Then again she was twelve that day, and slightly traumatized.

"I said I've candles. We just 'ave to go about it the same way that you would in science with a bunsen burner," he said, grinning. This was the closest he had ever gotten to making her happy, and probably his best shot at getting into her good graces. There hadn't been any acknowledgement from her on when he had watched over the twelve year old version of her, and he was prepared to act as though it had never happened.

"Sounds like a fair plan." Sledgehammer began shuffling the bags around, trying to set his apart from hers. Bringing her shopping to her flat would give him just that much more time with Seyta. Any progress he might be making though was probably going to be destroyed by the next words out of his mouth. "You could spend the night in my flat iffin you'd like." Of course once the words were out there in the air he realized what it may imply, and rushed to try to correct it. "I mean, it's just..."

She wanted a knife for protection. A knife is not a weapon for the faint of heart. To defend yourself with it you have to be within a dangerous range of your attacker. Seyta was no faint of heart woman that needed someone to protect her, but Sledge could not ignore his most basic instinct to guard her. "It's just, that something about this night. I don't know. You'd think that by now the grid would have come back up. Not only tha' but it seems to be spreading. I know when I left earlier that we had power. It wasn't even close to here."

>> "Sounds like a fair plan. You could spend the night in my flat iffin you'd like. I mean, it's just... It's just, that something about this night. I don't know. You'd think that by now the grid would have come back up. Not only tha' but it seems to be spreading. I know when I left earlier that we had power. It wasn't even close to here."

Seyta's eyes widened slightly at the offer. She also grinned, it was a bit odd but having someone notice her like that was... intriguing. Leading the way down the hall she stopped at her door and fumbled in the dark for her keys. "Spreading, and moving. I noticed it when we were out. I'm not too worried but I think a few mutants abilities activated soon, probably just a prank gone wrong." Finally getting the door open she flipped on the light switch by instinct... to no avail. After a moment of stumbling she fount a counter and helped David unload the bags. "As for staying the night maybe... we'll see how things go. I'm not sleeping on the couch though."

"I dunno," David said, thankful that Seyta hadn't tried to kill him on the spot for even suggesting that she spend more than an hour or two in his company, in his flat. Asking her to spend the night, no matter how noble his intentions, was a bit more forward than asking to share a table in a club. Look at how that had turned out. "I've been in a pinch more than a few times, and well, let's just say that this doesn't feel right to me."

She lead him to her apartment, sparing them both from the awkward acknowledgement that he knew where it was because he had been there before. Without power it was impressive that they were able to find it, but even more impressive to him was her being able to unlock it. He was the type that had to stare at the key for a second before putting it into the lock. Seyta flipped the light switch, and of course, she had no power either.

There was some more fumbling around in the dark as they traded off shopping bags and set them down on the counter. Thankful for the darkness hiding them, David's jaw went slack and his eyes boggled. He had not anticipated Seyta giving him any indication she would spend the night at his flat, and here she was giving him her demands upon where to sleep. "Fine! You can have me bed. Couch is well enough for me."

>> "Fine! You can have me bed. Couch is well enough for me."

"I said maybe..." Setting the last of the bags down she turned towards where the door should be. "Shouldn't be too hard to get to your place now right?" It was a bit sad that he had now been to her apartment twice and she had never been to his, even though they were in the same building. She doubted that he could see it but she smiled anyway and stumbled back into the hall. "Lead the way."

Seyta insisted that she had not agreed to spend the night in his flat which worried him. “Seyta, just do this for me? I'd druther know where you are and that you are safe there than let you be down here.” By now the back of his neck was prickling with a sense of dread not too dissimilar to the one he got going into a Red Lobster. Whatever was turning out the lights tonight made him think a little of that highly realistic dream he had had. In the dream the cause had been Kaitlyn, and he had not been at his flat at the time. That was probably the point in which it had gotten ransacked. Come to think of it, the dream's start date wasn't Halloween either. “You know how you want that knife? Well I want you to stay where you'll be safe tonight. Think of it as me present.”

They went back out into the hallway, using what dim amount of illumination that remained do to New York's light pollution to navigate by. Even without the power Sledgehammer could feel confident in allowing Seyta into his apartment. Although it was filled with all matter of things, used as research material for his cons, he kept the place very tidy. The worst of the clutter was gathered on his desk, and for a good reason. The more there was to sift through, the harder it was to piece together what parts went to which of his projects. His closet had become a little bit stuffed admittedly, but he could hardly stop that from helping. New York was one of the fashion capitals of the world, and Sledgehammer had a fondness for dressing well.

The lights wouldn't work in his apartment, but as soon as he lit up some candles David's furniture choices would be easy to see. His emergency supply of candles, along with ones that were meant to set a romantic tone when a lady came round, were kept in the cupboard under his sink. Matches were in a plastic bag beside them, so it didn't take much fumbling around before he found his quarry. With a rasping swish and a brief scent of sulfer, the tip of the match ignited. The small flame threw shadows about, but with the almost metalic threads in Sledgehammer's costume the fairy light seemed a little brighter.

>> “Seyta, just do this for me? I'd druther know where you are and that you are safe there than let you be down here. You know how you want that knife? Well I want you to stay where you'll be safe tonight. Think of it as me present.”

Seyta nodded "Alright, since you're really that worried I'll stay." It felt a bit weird, staying at a guys house for the night. Especially a rather cute one like David. Then again, she had never had a date since her high school prom over a decade ago, so everything about this was slightly weird.

Once they got to Davids apartment Seyta looked around, best she could in the dark, while he got candles set up for some light. From what she could see it was rather neat. Once he actually started lighting the candles she turned to smile. For having the world cheapest Halloween costume he did look pretty good in the candle light. It wasn't exactly a romantic date, but the night was ending rather well, with a knight to even look out for her. "So... um. Coffee." She wasn't sure how much the lack of light and her makeup would hide her blush.

If Sledge had deflated when Seyta said she might not stay the night, he re-inflated when she agreed. She probably was just humoring him, but he was still thankful. The candles were providing not only some light, but also a little bit of warmth. “Thank you. Now I believe you’re suppose to tell me about that knife that you want for your present.” Lighting more candles and placing them about the kitchen and towards the living room area. “Go ahead and make yourself comfortable, I’ll get us started on that coffee.” Back to the cupboard under the sink. People had grown too dependent upon electrical power, so much so that they didn’t know how to handle things without it. Seyta didn’t see how he would be able to cook without the power on. He’d joked that it would be like cooking with a Bunsen burner, but the reality wasn’t too far off.

When he was young, probably ten or so, a mate from school had invited him on a family camping trip. At the time Sledge accepted, not realizing at first that he had been asked to join out of pity. Realizing that his so called friend thought that he needed charity. He wasted an entire weekend with a peer that no longer was his friend. However, he did learn one other useful piece of information. That weekend David was shown how to make himself a little stove with a few supplies. Outdoors sporting goods stores would sell you expensive fire starting kits or travel stoves for high prices. His hobo penny stove cost him less then five dollars and took up significantly less space.

Two beer cans had been cut, their bottoms placed one inside of the other, with holes punctured in the top of one. Sledge put this in a frying pan, and went back into his cupboards, this time, one that was over his refrigerator. Vodka was pulled out, the clear liquid sloshing about. Beer was something to enjoy at the end of the day, vodka was for when he wanted to get really bladdered. Last thing that Sledge needed was a metal measuring cup to boil their water in. He took a seat on the ground, gesturing to Seyta that she should sit on the couch. His furniture layout for the living room did not allow them to sit across each other the way that they would be able to in a restaurant, so he compromised. “Alright, now I’m listening.” Vodka was poured into his hobo stove, and he lit it up.

>>“Go ahead and make yourself comfortable, I’ll get us started on that coffee.”

"Thanks." With a smile she dropped onto the couch and unzipped the thigh-high boots she had been in all night. They were platforms as well... not exactly comfortable. With curiosity she watched David put together a makeshift camp stove. The use of vodka made her raise an eyebrow.

>> “Alright, now I’m listening.”

"Ok..." She bit her lip thinking. "There was this um... dream." The explanation sounded crazy in her head. Venus had explained things slightly to her before but she had no idea if David knew anything about it or not.