“The Closet” was one of those artsy nesting holes that everyone seemed to know about because a couple of big name actors and musicians got recognized there and were taken to the big time. Ashley knew about it because...well, she just walked in once. It was a boring story to tell, but it wasn’t like everything she ever did was connected to some bigger, grand plan. The place was nice and they served a mean hot chocolate. Plus, the bartender was a nice guy and decided he liked Ashley, despite her gruff mannerisms and rough speech.

Still, he liked her enough that, when he found out that she played guitar, insisted that he play for her, to see what she sounded like. The manager of the place, a kindly old man named Benjamin, liked her sound as well. Ashley, though, thought it sounded like crap, but both the bartender (Sisko) and Benjamin both assured her that's what all artists thought. She took their word on it, deciding that playing for the club wouldn't be all bad. She'd played for Kealey once, how bad could it be?

Well, pretty bad.

But after a few tries she quickly became accustomed to the place and her playing style. Ever since her meeting with Kealey she'd been playing her guitar more and more, and Bentley encouraged it, which pretty much sealed the deal for Ashley. She'd do anything to make the little ballerina happy, and if playing the guitar did that...well, who was she to argue? Since her schedule was so erratic, Ashley would sometimes just show up, and Benjamin would push everyone else off the schedule for her. It was a sentiment she appreciated, but didn't understand. It wasn't like she was all THAT good, right?

On this particular night, Ashley arrived at The Closet, her guitar case hanging off her back. She wore a red shirt with Animal from the Muppets on the front, and leather pants that (as per usual when Bentley bought the clothes) fit snugly. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, her combat boots were polished and clean...all in all she felt she was pretty cleaned up for the show. She had taken to hygiene rather well after being house trained by Bentley, after all, and Ashley tried to take pride in her appearance. She even left her trenchcoat at home.

Benjamin greeted her with a hug (even though Ashley never wanted one, she'd come to accept his) and a handshake from Sisko, who knew Ashley didn't like to be touched. There were a few people pointing to Ashley excitedly, though the redhead barley noticed before Benjamin made his announcement of Ashley's arrival. She got cheers this time around, and she raised an eyebrow before looking to Sisko, who shrugged.

“They love ya, chicky.” he chuckled as he fixed a drink. “Knock 'em dead.”

She got up on stage, unpacking her guitar and sitting on the small stool that was placed there. She looked out onto the familiar scene and smiled, flashing now bright white teeth before tilting her head down, fingers strumming the guitar gently, coaxing out a tune as she warmed up. She likened her style to that of Carlos Santana, someone she admired deeply because his music was so...soulful. Deep. She wished she had a fraction of the talent he did, and every time she played she tried to emulate him as best she could.

The crowd was silent as she played, but even if they were cheering and lour, Ashley wouldn't have noticed. Oddly enough, any Santana music triggered the Stamina part of her power, and that gave her a longer running time when playing her music. Often enough Sisko himself would have to come and tell her she had to stop playing, as they were closing and it was getting late. She bit her bottom lip as she swayed on that little stool, eyes closed as the music washed over her and the rest of the patrons of The Closet.

It was moments like these that made it all worthwhile.

The Closet. Normally Agnes was not the type to go into clubs or coffee bars, but ever since the museum incident, she had been trying to open herself up to the world. For too long she closed herself off, scared of what would happen if she let herself experience anything about life. Her parents threatened her with fire and brimstone, and when she lived on the streets, that was enough to jade anyone towards the world. But now that she was away from all those influences and given the chance to live a real and almost normal life, she was wanted to live it.

Maybe that was why she chose this seemingly random place, this hole in the wall that looked practically unlivable. Whatever the case was, Agnes chose this place to experience something as far away from her old life as possible.

The air was thick when she stepped in and all around she heard the buzz of stereos, the flowing of music that was normally played live. Right now, there was no one on stage, so she managed to make her way towards a bar. She was nowhere near old enough to drink alcohol and, to be honest, that was a bit further than she wanted to go right now. Instead she settled for simply ordering herself a coffee. It smelled so good from when she walked in that –

“Hey, your haaaawt!!!”

The voice interrupted her thoughts and caused her to turn curiously to see a young man, probably barely 21 and leering at her as he sipped from his own drink. His blond, spiky hair and soul patch screamed ‘I’m a rebel! But not really!’ as he made motions towards her. Agnes arched a brow and looked back when her coffee was set down in front of her. Leaving a couple of bills to pay, Agnes quickly got up and glanced to the articulated young man.

“Um, thank you? I…guess.” and squeezed by him, heading for the sitting area.

It was just when she sat down that there was action on the stage began to pick up. Before she knew it, a rather striking young lady stepped onto the stage with guitar in hand. Agnes, for some reason, could not help herself looking at her. It seemed as if the woman had an allure she both could not figure out and, at the same time, did not want to. Whatever it was, it was pulling, grabbing her attention and keeping her focused entirely on her. This focus was then intensified as she began to play.

Agnes was lost in the rhythms of the guitar. Being musically minded herself, it just touched a chord deep within her heart. It moved her in a way that few pieces of music could. It made her heart race and caused her skin the tingle. It tickled its way up her spine and made the back of her skull feel numb. It was such an alien sensation that the poor runaway simply could not classify it. Whatever it was, though, she knew she could not take her eyes off the young woman as she played. But what was it that grabbed her attention in such a way? Was it the music? Or was it, shockingly enough, the teen on stage?

But Agnes did not have long to mull over these thoughts. Once her comprehension of space and time returned, she started flabbergasted as the performance came to an end. All around the thunders of applause filled the air and Agnes could do little else…but join in.

It was the clapping that let Ashley know that her fingers had probably decided to stop playing, and she opened her eyes to find the room applauding fiercely. She smiled brightly, as she was always pleased when her playing was appreciated, and left her guitar on stage before she stepped down off of it. No doubt Benjamin would ask her for a repeat performance later on, something she would always refuse but end up doing anyway. He was good with words like that.

She was greeted by a few people who complimented on her playing, and Ashley merely nodded and gave meek waves. She wasn't big on the touching due to her powers, though she did know there had been a significant reduction of that particular side effect ever since Bentley happened. Still, she avoided it when she could and managed to make it to the bar without any incidents. There had been a few, something Sisko always managed to bring up.

“No broken wrists this time, eh?” he winked at Ashley as she sat down. “People gonna think you're goin' soft Rhythm.”

Ashley huffed as she took the offer of water Sisko gave her and took a drink. She set it down and shook her head. “Maybe they learn.”

“Ha, yeah. That'll be the day.” Sisko shook his head as he continued to make drinks as if his hands were on auto pilot. “Horny drunk kids sittin' here eyin' you like you some kinda piece of meat? They're bound to get grabby, dig? Though I suppose the old man won't do shit about it, he loves you so damn much.”

He didn't speak with disdain, merely observation as he looked to the second floor of the building. It was more like half a floor, with the walls being made of bulletproof glass as Benjamin watched bellow. He gave Ashley a small salute with the drink he had in his hand, and Ashley copied him before drinking the rest of her water.

“He's nice.” Ashley commented, shoving the glass back to Sisko. “Business up. Knows people listen.”

“Yeah, but you ain't here half the time.” Sisko shrugged. “Though I guess that's also half the reason people come, to see if you're here.” He passed the glass back to Ashley.

“Too much credit.” Ashley murmured as she drank again. “Not that good.”

“Whatever you say, Red.” Sisko laughed, waving off the look Ashley was giving him at the nickname. She was used to it, so whatever. “More people are coming in now that they know you're here. How much more ya gonna play? You know the nights you come in kill me, doll.”

Ashley shrugged before she turned her attention away from Sisko and leaned her elbows back on the back and crossing her legs out in front. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes as she took an ice cube from her glass of water and put it on her forehead then slid it down her face and neck. The place was getting packed, and the heat would get even more intense. She rubbed it around more, enjoying the coolness before she snapped her eyes open. A few more minutes, and she'd go play another song.

It took a while for the applause to die down and when it did, Agnes could only watch as the young player removed herself from the stage and began to make her way back to the bar. Why couldn’t she keep her eyes off her? Was she really just that good of a player? Maybe it was because Agnes really never heard of that much contemporary music? Or maybe it was more that she just has some magnetic aura that the runaway simply could not avoid. Ironically she wondered if this was how her insects felt when they were attracted to her? Nah, that had to simply be insane. No person could have that much of an effect on the other.

But…if that were true…why was she getting up and walking towards her?

Agnes discovered that she was nearly halfway towards the lounging young singer now. For some reason, like a siren she called to her. Why was this? Why did she have this urge to speak to her? She really did play the guitar well. Maybe it was just her manners trying to get her up and thank the teen for a lovely show. Hopefully that was it and nothing more.

Gently she moistened her lips as she walked over, hands grabbing nervously at the bottom of her sweater and pulling and twisting it. But as she did, she really could not understand why. Why was she so nervous to talk to her? It was silly to react this way, especially to feel the butterflies in her stomach as she felt them flutter about right now. There was simply no reasoning behind this, at least none that she could think of.

But, she was quickly out of time in trying to decipher what to do next. She was mere feet from the woman, her heart racing, her skin tingling, her voice cracking. She wanted to tell her, eloquently, just how magnificent she thought her guitar playing was; that she was a great musician, that she was able to reach a part of her that had never been touched before, that she –

“Hey, you’re HAWT!!”

Agnes winced and turned back around to see the same joker from earlier leering at her. He grinned as he moseyed over, putting just a little too strut in his step. Clutching her coffee a little tighter, Agnes sighed, really not wanting to go into this with this man again, but he cut her off before she could speak .

“Wassup, honey?” He beamed as he moved a little too close. The copious amounts of cologne he wore watered the runaway’s eyes.

“Please, leave me alone,” Agnes said meekly and began to back away.

Instantly she slipped away from him, knowing this would not be the last sighting of him this evening. Normally she would take this as a sign to flee, to run and hide, but…the allure of the singer was just too great. She moved her way towards the bar, took a seat and shot her a sidelong glance. One second…two second…any more than that and it would be creepy. She turned back to face the bar, took a breath and finally steeled up her courage to tell her how great she was!

A quick turn, a hand held out to shake her hand and….

CLINK!![/b]

SPLLLLLLASH!![/b]

Over went the glass of water she did not notice there before and watched, horrified, as its contents splashed towards the young lady. Agnes sat, there, horrified, unable to look over to see if the water got over the young, pretty singer.

Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god! What now genius?

Meekly, all she could do was stand up and attempt to leave. God that was embarrassing.

The splash of water was actually quite refreshing.

Still, it didn't help that all Ashley did was yelp at the contact, jumping up and blinking like an idiot for several moments. She sniffed, looking down at her soaked shirt and thanking whatever deity was listening that she didn't go with the white shirt of differing variety she usually went with. She peeled a bit of the shirt and pulled it from her skin, flapping it get it to dry as she looked up, wondering who did it. She spotted the guilty looking perpetrator right away, looking horrified at her actions. Ashley merely smiled.

“Sorry.” she said, thinking of how to calm the young woman down. “Ummm...my fault. Was in the way.”

So maybe she wasn't, but the young girl looked like she was about to run and it was all Ashley could do to keep her there. And being as socially retarded as she was, she couldn't think of any other way to make the situation any less awkward then it already was other then take the blame. Still, it was stupid, and at least it wasn't something that smelled horribly, like vodka or beer. Water would dry out, and she knew that later on she was going to be wishing that a whole bucket of ice water to be dropped on her head, especially if the heat kept rising as it did.

“Rhythm.” Ashley flashed what she thought (hoped) was a winning smile at the girl that had splashed water on her. She heard Sisko snort in the background. He often told her that, if she so chose, she could probably make some people faint if she ever smiled regularly, a comment she payed no attention to. “Play here, sometimes. Your name?”

>> “Sorry…Ummm...my fault. Was in the way.”

For a second, Agnes was frozen as she simply stood there and watched as the girl flapped her shirt in a feeble attempt to quicken the drying process. She really did feel horrible for what she had done and the embarrassment that she had caused. Normally something like this would get people around them snickering and laughing, but as she waited for the mocking words to come…none did. A glance up and it seemed as if no one around had really noticed, or cared to take notice for long. That was definitely a far cry from when she was last in high school. It was a breeding ground for people who wanted mock and tease the other. It was a dog eat dog world.

But maybe such a sentiment did not envelope all of humanity. Maybe normal people just learned to accept that accidents happen.

Whatever the case was, Agnes was pulled back to reality by the striking girl and her joking off that the whole thing was her own fault. At least she was not going to attempt to slug her.

“Oh, no, no no no, please don’t apologize,” she fumbled, “I-It’s was my fault. I…heh, I just being my clumsy self.”

Now, even when she was going to private school, Agnes had noticed the beauties that her female classmates could possess. Though the majority of them aided the process with make-up, tight clothes, etc., they still all strived to become this striking picture of femininity that could stop a room dead. Agnes knew she would never attain that kind of beauty. Yes, she had the girl-next-door look, the short, soft brown hair, the piercing blue eyes, the thin supple frame, but whenever she looked in the mirror she never saw a beauty. Especially these days. All she saw in mirrors were a living bug hive, crawling with insects. The image was a disturbing one.

But this girl…she was definitely a beauty. Maybe…maybe that was why her stomach was turning knots from within.

>> “Rhythm…Play here, sometimes. Your name?”

For only a second, she forgot her own name. Agatha? Aggie? Aragon? It was dancing just in the back of her mind, making her feel utterly stupid. She knew how to carry on a regular conversation! She did! She…just had to remember how to go about –

“Agnes,” she finally replied with a slightly relieved sigh. “My name is Agnes. N-Nice to meet you…Rhythm.” She sighed as she got out her name and found the courage to go on. “Um…you…uh, you played…absolutely great up there. Y-You have a beautiful talent.” she said earnestly as she grabbed a few napkins from the bar and offered them to Rhythm to help dry herself off.

What a klutz she could be. Maybe when she got back to the mansion tonight she’d kill herself…

>>“Agnes. My name is Agnes. N-Nice to meet you…Rhythm. Um…you…uh, you played…absolutely great up there. Y-You have a beautiful talent.”

Ashley stopped fanning her shirt and instead nodded to Agnes. She took the offered napkins and dried the shirt off as best she could before throwing the now soaked napkins into a nearby wastebasket. She sniffed a moment, then eyed Agnes. Yeah...she knew it. She would know that smell anywhere. It wasn't that long ago that Ashley had it all over herself; the smell of trash. Homeless, maybe? She looked the part, certainly. Ashley's mind went blank for a moment as she continued to look the girl up and down.

“Hey...” Ashley held out a hand and put it on Agnes' shoulder. “You wanna stay? Here? Sisko makes pizza.” She looked over her shoulder, where the bartender was watching the show with much interest and amusement. “Right, Sisko?”

“Anything for you, Red.” he replied, ignoring multiple orders that people were yelling to go do just that. “Though it'll cost ya a kiss.”

Ashley scowled; that's what he always said, even when she just wanted some pretzels. She rolled her eyes before looking back to Agnes and motioning to a chair at the end of the bar. “Ummm...not the best. But stay, okay? I play for you, yeah?”

Ashley then did something she thought she'd never do; she flashed a smile on purpose, this time trying to charm the pants off this girl so she'd stay. She didn't like the idea of Agnes being homeless, and she knew why; most of the people she'd met on the streets were there because they wanted to be. That fact may have shocked a lot of people, but they only saw the homeless that didn't wanna be there. Agnes had that look, but then there was something more.

She didn't wanna be there, and she wasn't homeless by choice either.

The brunette prided herself in being able to read the people she met on the streets. Hell, it was almost a required skill for most of the people out there. You couldn't trust just anyone, after all. And Agnes...she made Ashley's heart ache. She was no doubt gorgeous, and being that pretty out here was a curse. But guitar player didn't make any assumptions about Agnes' fighting ability, as such a thing could lead to a whole new set of problems. Instead, she wanted to hear the girl's story.

Ashley smiled as she brushed a loose piece of hair behind Agnes' ear. “Sit. Eat. Listen. Yeah?”

>> “Ummm...not the best. But stay, okay? I play for you, yeah?”

The words rolled out faster than she could comprehend. The lovely guitarist was attempting to offer her a place to stay? And food? It was a throwback to the months she spent living on the streets. Many times she got offers like that and the majority of them were definitely not done out of the pureness of people’s heart. She may have had a sheltered life, but she definitely knew when there was only one thing on a person’s mind. Too many close calls she had like that and too many times she heard how other young ones fell for them. It was a horrible thing but it helped her to learn and stay strong. Now though…she could tell there was no ulterior motive. Rhythm really did just want to help her. For a moment that made her feel good.

Too bad she was not living on the streets anymore. Did she really look like she did? Or was it simply the scent? That scent that attracted bugs left and right to her? Whatever it was, Agnes definitely could not take advantage of her fellow teen’s kindness.

>> “Sit. Eat. Listen. Yeah?”

“Um..Rhythm…” she started to say. She wished their exchange could last a little longer, have a bit more conversation with her, maybe get to know her a little more to figure out what the hell her allure was. But…she could not take advantage of kindness. “T-Thank you. I really do appreciate the gesture, but…I don’t live in the streets anymore,” she answered honestly. “I…I have a place to stay. But…thank you.”

For some reason Agnes felt a little guilty. As if she took a nice gift that was offered to her and threw it back in the person’s face. It really was nothing personal, it was simply that she appreciated what gesture, but she did not require a place to stay or food to eat. She had both of those right now. She was finally getting her life on track. Still…it was probably rude to not have at least said she would stay for a little bit. After all, the woman did say she would play a song for her.

A guilty glance up and Agnes smiled shyly at Rhythm. The guitarist’s own smile was enough to capture Agnes full attention. It was like staring into face of diamond with so many different facets and sparkles that she simply could not peel her eyes away…

My GOD! Agnes exclaimed in her own head. What is wrong with me?

She shook the thoughts out, sighed and smiled back at Rhythm. “T-Thank you, but, I do have someplace to stay. But…” she said with nod. “I-I don’t mind hanging out for a bit. I-I’d love to hear you place some more.”

>>“T-Thank you, but, I do have someplace to stay. But…I-I don’t mind hanging out for a bit. I-I’d love to hear you place some more.”

Ashley nodded. Of course she was proud. The brunette felt a sense of shame in assuming the girl was homeless simply because of a smell. She all she knew that could have been someone or something else. But Ashley would bet her bottom dollar that, at some point, this girl was homeless. The scars were all still there, readily available to see for anyone that was paying attention. But the girl's confusion on what Ashley was offering was a bit her fault, she knew, since her speech wasn't the greatest.

“Ummm...I mean, like...stay here.” Ashley pointed to the bar stool at the end of the bar. “Till I'm done. Then...maybe I take you home?”

Ashley couldn't help but be thrown back in time when she offered Bentley the same thing after the girl had literally slammed into her while she was out running at night. The innocent dancer didn't know any better, after all, that taking a jog at night in New York City through the park of all places was just asking to appear on the nightly news. Or maybe it was Andrew's personality rubbing off on her, but she couldn't help but to try and assist Agnes any way she could.

And then there was the fact that she was beautiful.

The thought hit Ashley like a lightning bolt, and she stopped whatever she was going and really looked at the girl before her. Her jeans were snug and her shirt was far too big. But for some reason it fit her, and the air of vulnerability made Ashley look all that much closer. Dark eyes and hair that contrasted sharply with pale, white skin...Ashley felt herself lick her lips a bit before bowing her head and toeing the ground a tad, a habit she had developed when she was nervous, and sticking her hands on her back pockets.

“No disrespect, please.” Ashley muttered, looking up to Agnes and smiling again, her eyes pleading with the girl to understand. “I play a song. For you, okay?”

The brunette gave a small wave before going back up to the stage with much applause from the crowd. She didn't really know why she had offered to play for Agnes, but she once played a song for Kealey, and that had turned out quite good. So...maybe if she played one for someone she was actually attracted to (at least physically), it would turn out better? She took her usual position on the little stool and barley had her fingers in position before her fingers seemed to take a life of their own.

She closed her eyes as the music once again flowed through her, smiling this time as she did so. She never really smiled when she played. Not because playing her guitar was serious business or anything, but because she never had a reason. But now she wanted to play to impress someone, and even though she did that with Bentley whenever the tiny dancer asked, this time it was because she wanted someone to like her back. Hey, Bentley already liked her. Now she was fighting, and she hoped Agnes liked it.

>> “Ummm...I mean, like...stay here…Till I'm done. Then...maybe I take you home?”

Goooood, this is SO embarrassing… she thought.

The flush that filled her cheeks must have been quite comical to look at. Once Rhythm clarified what she had meant, Agnes could not have felt more embarrassed. How could she think that the woman meant anything else? But, in all honesty, it was simple a mistake of understanding. Rhythm seemed to be just as flustered as Agnes, but that did not help the runaway’s feelings much. She still could not believe that she was blushing so much because of her klutziness in front of this girl.

For a second though, Agnes wondered why Rhythm seemed to be trying to avert her gaze. Did Agnes do something wrong? Was she trying not to laugh at her or something? That was Agnes’ self-esteem alright, blame everything on herself. But as she sat there, eyeing the wet napkins off to the side, and trying not to look like she was staring at the talented teen, Agnes constantly found her eye drifting back to her. She really was a beauty.

A feeling of warmth washed over her face and she felt a renewed embarrassment. Out of habit she tugged gently at the overly long sleeves that enveloped her hands and she nibbled on her bottom lip in thought. What could she say? She hoped that she did not jump to the conclusion that Rhythm was trying to offer her a place to stay because she did not have one. Though Agnes seemed to have made that conclusion herself. It was sufficient to say that things were just simply going bad. It was like she was a totally different person right now.

She then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as attempted to think of an excuse to get up and leave. It really would have been better to simply end this night while she still had SOME dignity.


>> “No disrespect, please…I play a song. For you, okay?”

“O-O-Okay…”

The word came out faster than Agnes had time to think. Before she knew it, she was agreeing to stay longer. It was simply because in that instant she was so touched by the idea of having a song played for her, and at the same time, deep down she really did not want to leave. Not yet anyway. She was embarrassed but she was also drawn to this woman and she was somehow going to figure out why. Though to most people the answer would have been obvious, to Agnes, a young lady who grew up in an overly strict religious household, she knew nothing beyond what she was taught.

But everything changes eventually.

Agnes watched mutely as Rhythm left her at the bar and returned to the stage amidst a thunderous applause. Agnes found herself clapping along, just as loud and cheerful as anyone else. Now that the presence of the alluring young lady was gone, the runaway started to regain a semblance of her composure. Maybe when she came back, if she did, she would be able to hold onto it.

Then the music started and Agnes was immediately lost in it. The guitar was so beautifully played that it almost reminded Agnes of when she played the violin. As a matter of fact, as she watched her play, she could see the same look on her face that Agnes was sure she got on hers when she played. It was as if, when playing music, they reached another level within themselves, a connection with something that could only be reached through the use of music. Whatever the case, the runaway did not fight the feeling of being pulled into the beautiful played guitar. It was addicting to listen to and right now, she was not going to go anywhere, no matter how embarrassed she was. Instead she sat, watched and smiled at Rhythm. And it was a pure, impressed, happy smile that she had never really given anyone before.

Beautiful, was the only word that rebounded in her head.

This time Ashley knew when she was doe playing, and had time to open her eyes to enjoy the applause she was being given. There was a rustling of many a chair as she got up and packed up her guitar, as many of the regulars knew she was done playing and were either going to leave or retreat to the outside area where it was much cooler then it was inside. Ashley wished to join them herself, if nothing more then to get feedback on her playing, but she had a girl watching that Ashley didn't wanna keep waiting.

She approached said girl with a genuine smile and took the pizza that lay forgotten on the bar counter, much to Sisko's irritation. Still, that didn't stop him from giving Ashley a small thumbs up and then waggling his eyebrows in Agnes' direction. Ashley rolled her eyes before reaching out and touching the girl's shoulder, giving it a small squeeze as she walked by her.

“So, ummm...where to?” Ashley said. “For you, I mean? Your place?”

In retrospect, Ashley didn't mean for it to sound as...sexual as it did, but at the moment she really didn't notice. All she really wanted to do was walk this nice woman home and have nice conversation on the way. In a way Agnes reminded her of herself back before the days that people like Bentley and Andrew had forced her to talk and socialize, before people like Isabel (and really just her) had brought out the need for Ashley to have someone in her life that would actually mean something.

“Hey, yer both hawt!!”

Ashley's fist flew out nonchalantly, connecting with the guy's jaw as he stalked up to both women, no doubt getting ready to represent his sex in the most spectacular way possible. Ashley barley blinked as the body crumpled, and further ignored the bark of laughter Sisko let out before he signaled the bouncers to carry the body to the couch in the back so the stupid boy wouldn't get robbed blind as it lay unconscious on the floor. Ashley shifted from one foot to the other as she meekly looked to Agnes, appearing as if the entire event didn't even take place.

“Wanna go?”

The pizza was place there, but though Agnes could smell it, she made no motion towards it. Instead she was too enraptured by the performance on stage. The way Rhythm played the guitar, the swift her fingers moved, the true passion she put into that instrument, it was too much for Agnes to look away. She was captured by it, and remained there, watching her play until the very it. It was only then that she took another breath and applauded along with the crowd, even as she walked back towards her.

>> “So, ummm...where to?...For you, I mean? Your place?”

The flush of crimson flooded her cheeks again and she took a second to take a shaky breath. She did know why the question made her feel awkward, but she did not want to dwell on trying to figure that out right now. Instead, she simply smiled back at the guitarist. Though she was perfectly fine with walking home by herself, she had done it many times before, it would have been nice to have the company. Then again, she lived at the Xavier Sister School and she was more than certain that rumors circulated around the city that that was where mutants lived. Would Rhythm know that? When she found out, would she freak that Agnes was a mutant? What if she asked what her abilities were? It was way too early to let a cat like that out of the bag. Then again…

Once the blush in her cheeks was gone, Agnes stood up and stared at the taller musician. She looked almost as nervous as she was, but why? It was like they were going out on a date or something….but…uh…huh?

Before Agnes could think further into this revelation, her train of thought was interrupted by an obnoxious voice from her past:

>> “Hey, yer both hawt!!”

She was finally fed up. With a growl she turned to glare at the man. “Really? Jacka–?!”

But she did not have to say more than that. Before she knew it, a fist flew out of nowhere and clocked the man straight in the jaw. For a moment Agnes stood there dumbfounded. Who was her rescuer now? But as she followed the line of the arm back to its possessor, she took one small shuddering breath. Rhythm had knocked the man out in a single punch. That definitely was impressive. It was now that Agnes was beginning to further envy the guitarist. Not only did she have the talent and the beauty, but she had that strength to defend herself whenever need be. Agnes never saw herself as strong, but she could recognize it in others when she saw it.

“Wow,” was all she said.


>> “Wanna go?”

She looked so meek and small when she asked that question. It was as if she were afraid of the answer, but what could she be possibly afraid of? Wait…another question? Agnes had finally had it! There were so many questions and concerns in her head right now that she knew she was going to develop a migraine if she continued. So instead…she stopped…took on calm breath…and looked up at Rhythm. With a resolute look, she smiled warmly and nodded her head.

“Please?” she asked in response. “It’s getting a bit too, uh, hot in here for me. And I can’t go around stripping off my clothes can I?” A small laugh fluttered after her tiny joke, her method of breaking the ice. If there were connotations behind that, she did not catch it. “Um, y-you don’t have to take me all the way home. I wouldn’t mind a nice walk though.” she said with beaming smile.

She could not remember the last time she smiled like that for anyone.

>>“Please? It’s getting a bit too, uh, hot in here for me. And I can’t go around stripping off my clothes can I? Um, y-you don’t have to take me all the way home. I wouldn’t mind a nice walk though.”

“Piffle.” Ashley waved a hand as she motioned Agnes with her head towards the exit before beginning to walk in that direction herself. “Only right I walk you. All the way, I mean. Only...gentlemanly.”

That was one of the words Bentley threw around a lot when it came to them and any activity they did, always calling Ashley a 'gentleman', something Ashley resented but had gotten used to the more they went out. But Ashley didn't know the word for the woman equivalent for being a gentleman and so she merely kept her mouth shut. She briefly wondered if there even was a word for it but decided she didn't care. They reached the cool night air and Ashley sighed into it, adjusting the guitar case that was strapped to her back and making sure she had a firm grip on the pizza she held in hand.

“Sorry...about the guy.” Ashley looked back to Agnes with a small shrug. “Heard him, before. Annoying, so...yeah. Shut him up.”

And it was annoyingly easy. The friends the little boy had merely laughed uproariously as he was dragged out, no doubt thinking that it was going to be one of those stories they repeated on the guys wedding day for some laughs, or to a girlfriend later on when they wanted to humiliate him. Ashley could deal with both. But she didn't want to make an even odder impression on Agnes then she probably already had. Justifying it seemed pointless now that the poor kid was knocked out and he really didn't do much more then be loud and irritating.

Well...is this what they called hindsight being twenty-twenty? Ashley huffed.

“Not violent, really.” Ashley continued as she walked backwards, still looking at Agnes in the eye and trying not to imagine what that oversized shirt was hiding. “Believe me?”

>> “Piffle…Only right I walk you. All the way, I mean. Only...gentlemanly.”

“O-Okay. I…I live down in at Inwood Hill Park, near Broadway.” She wondered if Rhythm knew of the Xavier Sister School.

Agnes smiled appreciatively but a small sense of dread also filled her chest. What if Rhythm knew of the school she lived at? What if she did not like mutants at all? Even if Agnes lied about being a mutant, there no telling whether this young woman actually cared to have mutants around. It was a slippery slope and before Agnes knew it, she was in the middle of it. She did not want to separate herself from the pretty guitarist just yet. She could have to play this by ear and either smile when Rhythm said she like mutants, or spit wasps at her and run if she was threatened.

Personally she hoped the latter would not come into play.

Within moments they were out of the stuffy, hot club and into the cool, crisp air of the evening. It was an eye opener to be outside and she could not have been more grateful. Already she could start to feel herself cool down as she strolled casually along with Rhythm. The darkness, the tiny lights of the lit up buildings and the stars above shown the way as she walked, instinctively taking the slightly longer way back home just to extend her time by the mere fractions of seconds it allowed her with Rhythm.

>> “Sorry...about the guy…Heard him, before. Annoying, so...yeah. Shut him up.”

Agnes giggled and nodded. “Well, I’m glad someone did. Otherwise I would have done something. I was, completely, not interested.” she said adamantly.

>> “Not violent, really…Believe me?”

“I…don’t think you’re violent. Really.” She said earnestly. Then she just smiled and winked playfully. “You just know how to rescue a damsel.”

As their walk continued, Agnes watched the taller woman as she walked backwards in front of her. Agnes found herself looking at her, but not just looking, like…really looking. Her gaze roamed over every available feature of the musician, taking in her appearance as critic would take in a fine piece of art. She noted how the shadows played with the lit areas of her face, how the certain wisps of hair danced in the late night breeze. She really was a gorgeous creature. Not that she was basing anything on appearance alone, but it was simply that Rhythm really was an attractive woman. From the curves of her frame to the soulfulness in her eyes, Agnes found herself completely entranced, but why? Was it jealousy? Did she want to be her? On same days she wished she were anyone else but herself…but that did not feel right. It was more that…she just wanted to be with her.

Agnes had to pause in her thoughts and rethink. Where was all this coming from? She had never felt like this about anyone. Even in high school her “friends” she barely tolerated and she shot down boy after boy who asked her out and still she felt nothing then. Now though, now was a different story. This felt almost…like attraction.

But that couldn’t be. It couldn’t…right?

The shy runaway held her hands behind her back and continued to walk with Rhythm. She did not want to let the conversation between them just drop into nothing, so she screwed up her courage and tried to find a topic. It was better than attempting to identify what this feelings towards Rhythm was.

“Um…well,” she whispered, “From one musician to another, you’re guitar playing is absolutely great. You have a real passion for it.” she said. Before Rhythm could question though, Agnes went on to explain that “I play music too.” she admitted. “I play the violin. When you were up there playing, you looked…how I feel when I’m playing. It’s an honor to meet someone with that much passion for music as I have.” Agnes said with a nod.

>>“Um…well, from one musician to another, you’re guitar playing is absolutely great. You have a real passion for it. I play music too. I play the violin. When you were up there playing, you looked…how I feel when I’m playing. It’s an honor to meet someone with that much passion for music as I have.”

Ashley did her best not to blush and failed spectacularly. She stopped walking backwards and instead walked side by side the woman, thinking of what to say. Sure, she got compliments all the time when she played, and more often then not the compliment was followed up by an offer to buy her a drink. She usually declined and took the treatment in stride, but the compliments coming from Agnes seemed more...sincere. Ashley couldn't put her finger on it, but they seemed to mean more coming from this strange little girl...

“Yo, Red.” the deep baritone of Sisko reached Ashley's ears, and the brunette turned to face him. He jogged up to them and held out a motorcycle helmet to Ashley, a small smirk on his face. “Don't forget you drove here, eh? Ya thinking of driving home?”

Without question he grabbed the pizza from Ashley's hands and stuffed the helmet into her stomach. Ashley blinked a few times as she stared down at the helmet she was given before her thought process finally caught up with her. Well crap, she dove here on her motorcycle!! She inwardly groaned. Riding here was bad enough with her guitar, how would she be able to drive with a passenger and carry the instrument at the same time? Sisko, however, seemed to have a solution to that.

“Give it here, girl.” Sisko said, motioning for the guitar. “You know where to pick it up. Benjamin would be very cross if your stuff got taken from his place. It'll be safe, trust me.”

And Ashley knew it would be. Benjamin was a man of honor, if not a bit pushy, and he loved having Ashley over. Sisko was also an honest soul, when he wasn't busy teasing Ashley as only he could. So, the guitarist nodded, handing over the case of the instrument that had become so important to her as of late and watching as Sisko (with a final, teasing wink the bastard) took her things and stalked back to The Closet. Which left Ashley with slightly embarrassing job of turning to her companion and holding up a little key she dug from her pocket and dangling it in front of her while holding the helmet out to Agnes.

“Ummm...ride?” Ashley smiled hopefully, flashing her pearly whites. “It's motorcycle...but can seat two. Just gotta hold tight. And direct me, yes?”