Jaxon strolled along the boardwalk, her heeled ankle-boots making a hollow clunking noise, watching kids with cotton-candy and balloons running around, and bit into her corndog. She grinned when a boy bumped into her and quickly mumbled and apology before chasing his friends.

She eyed the stuffed animals and other prizes in the game booths, laughing at a cute giraffe, and looked at the street art being displayed. In her cashmere knit, eggplant purple, one-shouldered top and blue jeans, Jaxon looked like she didn’t quite belong on the boardwalk with the young families and teen couples. But she still loved to come here; the air, the sounds, the smells... She grinned and bit into her corndog again; the tastes.. She had been coming here on her own since she was 15. When ever she needed to clear her head she came here. And she really needed to clear her head.

A mutant… Jaxon Kane, a wealthy, well loved, media favored socialite, was a mutant… What a kicker. The weird part was, if or when she told them, she wasn’t sure how her parents would respond. They had never voiced any opinions on mutants, and had donated and supported any cause Jaxon asked of them. The reason she had been at the Valentines ball. They thought she had just taken an interest in mutant politics. She didn’t even want to think about how the media would respond… If she had some innocuous power it wouldn’t be so bad - but Jaxon summoned demonic creatures out of her own head. She couldn’t even handle it, how could she expect her parents or anyone else to handle it.

With a sigh, she nibbled the good crunchy bits off the stick before throwing it in a trash can. Wiping her hands together, she kept walking, lost in her thoughts.

In his infinite search for amusement and suitable food Ezekiel had wandered all the way toward the pier; it was a location to which he had limited experience, during his initial stay in New York he had ventured only to place that fed his inner Aristocrat.

With his hands nestled deep in his pants pockets he strolled with a bounce in his step whilst whistling a happy melody from an old Irish folk song that had charmed him long ago when he was but a boy. The finely trimmed suit accentuated his body well; the contacts he wore and false teeth did well to mask his true form, a necessary accessory for a man such as himself.

The various scents milling about in the air mingled in his mind, becoming lost in the vast labyrinth of memories and desires he kept stored away. His only goal since being set free had been to dine on a suitable person; however his search had bared little fruit thus far, perhaps his tastes had evolved too much for nothing seemed to meet his high standards.

A particular scent caught his senses as he walked along the damp wood of the pier; it was a unique feminine scent mingled gently with the distasteful smell of greasy fast food.

The frigid blue of his store bought gaze settled on a pretty young visage that was only a few short steps away from his position; her face seemed remotely familiar, had he seen her plastered on some abomination such as a billboard or television screen? He wasn't able to place the source, something that was rather uncommon for him.

"You look appeased; have you enjoyed a splendid day or do you take great solace from the simplistic world we live in?" he smiled in a charming fashion as he stepped a fraction closer, "Indulge this man's curiosity, I can't help but wonder"

It took Jaxon a moment to realize someone was talking to her, but when she did she turned, tilting her head. Her voice was breathy and quick when she responded, brushing her hair back with one hand. “What? Oh, I …” She trailed off when she met his gaze, amber striking blue. There was something in his eyes she couldn’t place, an emotion she hadn’t seen before, and it made her pause, holding his gaze for a second too long to be comfortable.

The rest of him looked fairly normal. Maybe not normal on the pier; he stuck out in a way that was similar to her, seeming to be over dressed for a walk. If she had met him in her apartment building, or in her parent’s office building she wouldn’t have noticed him. Except for those eyes. If he had caught her eye when she was rushing to do an errand for one of them she would have had the same reaction. A second look. And confusion on her part.

With a jolt she started again, speaking slower with less of a startled tone. “Well, I guess neither… More like wistful.” She smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling in the sunlight. “Though I’m sure I’ve had my fair share of satisfaction, so some would say I deserve a low day.” Her expression changed from simply friendly to teasing. “Anything else you want to wonder about?”

She kicked a toe against the wood under her feet, her hesitation showing that she wasn’t ready to walk away. She wanted to talk to someone who didn’t know her. She might not spill her guts but talking to strangers frequently offered perspective.

Ezekiel held his head to the side as he regarded the stranger with a curious expression; the contacts did well to mask the wanton aspect of his true eyes. As she spoke her sweet words his steps brought him carelessly close, circling around her so that he might take in the source of her curves and the harmony of her being.

A smile touched his lips as she poised her question; he leaned a fraction closer so that his word reached her as a subtle whisper, "Plenty" he bit his bottom lip for a moment before stepping back and leaning comfortably against the steel railing lining the edge of the pier.

"What is it that you wonder?" his hands held the rail as he shifted his weight and levelled his attention on her unique stare; "Surely a woman with some stature and clear taste doesn't venture to the pier without some sort of curious intent; I myself have a particular agenda for journeying here, however simple it may be"

His fingers tapped against the cool metal, leaving a light thud sound to drift in the air around them. Ezekiel narrowed his eyes to better peer into her, the things he saw may not have been accurate but they were enough to solidify his interest in piecing together this strange puzzle.

"What's your name?"

Raising an eyebrow as he circled her to lean against the banister, she followed him with her eyes, turning her head but not her body. When he spoke again she laughed, the sound not mocking though, only enjoyment. After all, who didn’t wonder about anything and everything.

With a small smirk she followed him, also laying against the rail, but instead she looked out over the water instead of facing the pier, her body just barely tall enough to lean over it a bit, her hands braced. Turning her head, she looked at him with a discerning expression, the smirk fading into something else. Still a smile, but smaller, more real and curious. Almost cheeky.

“Why don’t you tell me? You seem pretty observant… What do I think about and why am I here?” He had been astute in his guess of status, though he could know who she was and be simply playing dumb. She would have to watch herself with this one until she knew for sure.

When he asked her name, she turned her head, looking away for a moment. She thought about lying, but if he already knew who she was that might cause a problem. But when she turned back and found him staring into her, she decided to be honest even if she wasn't forthcoming. Turning and mimicking her pose against the rail, back to the view, she offered her hand. “Jaxon.” Letting her head fall back, she perched her chin on her own shoulder. “And you are?”

Ezekiel was deadly quiet while the girl spoke; he kept his attention on her wandering eyes as they spoke more honesty then any words ever could, the old saying held much sway for the eyes did serve as a window to the soul. A small grin tugged at his lips as he stroked the golden casing of his pocket watch, feeling out the words etched into the surface.

"Jaxon..." he repeated in a deep whisper.

He turned to the side, leaning on his elbow against the railing so that he might greet her directly; he clicked his tongue once before smiling again. "Why else would someone come to this place if not to escape the hustle and bustle of the city only to gain a small slice of peace and beauty that only the sight of the sea can inspire?"

This was the reason he enjoyed the pier; though the sea around this city was far from majestic it was the closest he could come without travelling to a different state. He tapped the metal rail again before reaching into Jaxon's personal space to brush a strand of hair from her cheek that was obscuring his vision.

"I don't imagine a young woman like yourself ventured all the way out here simply for the view;" he laughed a most charming laugh before shaking his head.

"Call me Ezekiel"

She heard him repeat her name, almost as if he were testing it for something, and nodded. His voice was interesting, masculine, with an accent that showed he wasn’t from New York or even the US. If she guessed correctly she would say Scottish or Irish. She did love to listen to a good voice, and his was nice; it had a deep timbre and just enough of a husky tone to be ear catching. He was fairly attractive so, when he turned to face her, she reciprocated, angling her body slightly.

His response was not what she had expected and it made her grin, her eyes narrowing on him. She was enjoying this game. “You are very good at answering a question with another question… I’m not giving you that one.” With a wink, she added, “But you get points for eloquence.”

Her grin faded slightly when he reached for her, her eyes widened just enough to show surprise. Then with a raised eyebrow, acting as if she knew what he was trying to do, she chuckled. Listening to his laugh, she had the urge to inspire it again. “You are right, I’m not here for the view… It’s the stuffed animals.” She waited a beat just to see his reaction before continuing, “Though it is nice to be normal for a while.”

Blinking slowly, meeting his eyes again, she shrugged; her last comment needed a bit more explanation to avoid hard-to-answer questions. “You always have to be something in the city, Ezekiel… fit your label."

Biting her lip and tilting her head in a slightly sheepish move, as if trying to change the subject, she spoke again. “What about you, what are you doing here?”