Arianwen O'Connell was swiftly regretting her decision to leave the mansion for the day. She'd made it through New York City on her way there but today she was trapped in a crowd that she'd somehow missed seeing in her way while she was thinking over the directions she'd looked up to the closest indoor archery range. But now she was being bumped into and pushed from all sides while people's curses and loud phone conversations drifted into her ears even through her headphones due to their proximity. She was frozen, breathing stilted as she did her best to try and remind herself that they weren't touching her skin. But even through her layers of clothing it was getting to be too much, and she could feel their presences in the air against her face even with her too-sharp eyes squeezed desperately shut.

One may think that someone who could fly through the air, slip under doors, around people, and generally become an evasive master, would not be walking down a busy street in the busiest city of them all: New York. Why walk when you can fly? The truth of the matter is that even a superhuman craves a bit of routine. At times Sylus needed to be a part of the crowd, just one spec of sand in a great dune. In his new world of religious dedication and morbid destruction, it was necessary to fit in moments of relative normalcy.

Not to mention that these casual strolls along the city streets gave him ample time to scout and plan for his sacred fiery rituals.

The crowds were surprisingly dense that day, given the somewhat stifling heat (made worse by the mass of bodies), and the normally less busy block that he was in. Sylus glanced briefly into the shops, restaurants, department stores, and internet cafes. He noted the size and popularity of each establishment, cataloging the prospective targets into his tightly packed memory. Halfway down the block he began to notice a divergent flow in the movement of the pedestrians on the sidewalk. There seemed to be a rock set securely in place in this river of people.

As Soot approached this disturbance on his journey, he finally saw a young woman who was clearly disturbed by the throng of people around her. She seemed to twitch and flinch at each bit of contact that touched her extensive wardrobe. The outfit that the pale teenager had one was probably unbearable in the summer. She had on not only pants and a long sleeve shirt, but also big, ear covering headphones and what looked like ski goggles. This ensemble was not the weirdest thing that Sylus had seen in NYC, but given the time of year, it raised more than a couple of eyebrows.

Seeing a damsel in apparent distress provoked the same chivalrous reaction it always did for him, and, with some considerable shoving through the crowd, he grabbed lightly unto her wrist and pulled her into a nearby alley.

Shade cascaded down from the tall buildings on either side of them, and the walls cut off not only the oppressing heat, but the dull roar of the mob outside. Now that they had more air to breathe, Soot could not help but feed his curiousity and concern.

"You okay there? You were just a bit short of catatonic out there. Looked like someone had thrown you into a pit of hissing snakes."

Ari flinched at the sudden grasp but let herself be tugged away from the crowd with minimal struggle. Though the moment they were in the shade of the alley she pulled her arm back hastily and checked her goggles before opening her eyes.

"Yes, thank you." She replied, running fingers over her head phones and then pulling off her backpack to check that the contents were intact. The small recurve bow she'd saved from her home at the outset of her long journey turned out to be fine, as did the selection of arrows she managed to keep with her. She had only opened it a little, and had checked it all by touch so she zipped the bag up and slung it over her shoulder once more before turning her attention fully to the man who had pulled her from the crowd, supposing she offered him some sort of explanation but not exactly sure how to start.

"I am Aria." She told him, deciding not to divulge her full name to a complete stranger.

The teenager's reaction to her rescue surprised Soot. She whipped her arm away from his and began to go through the routine of checking the state her gear. She adjusted her dark tinted ski goggles and made sure that her thick headphones were properly in place. Finally, she reached briefly into the pack that was on her back as if to assure herself that nothing had been taken. She seemed rather protective of its contents. Unless she was carrying plastic explosives or a box of cubans, Sylus could not care less. The young woman was either paranoid, or had no trust in others. All in all, the whole routine seemed more fitting of a victim of assault rather than somehow with a fear of crowds. Or more likely, a fear of being touched.

He leaned back against the alley wall and took her verbal gratitude with a small smile. Reaching slowly into his pocket, he pulled out a cigar from its tube and held it briefly under his nose, taking in the aroma of tightly wrapped tobacco. The young lady's vocals lilted upon the air once more when she uttered her name. Her voice had the same quality as her pale skin. It was softspoken and a little tentative, as if he verbage was exposed to sunlight about as much as her epidermis.

"I am Aria." An uncommon name if Sylus had ever heard one. Yet this he took in stride. There were more peculiar things in his world of religious dedication and destruction than the occasional unique name.

"Well Aria, you can call me Sylus. I've got to say, you don't seem like the type of person to be walking around the crowded sidewalks of New York. This city's streets can not only be confusing, but a little menacing at times as well." Soot said casually.

Not that he had been living NYC for very long, but he had lived in the back alleys of Phoenix for a good while. And he had been on the lam for a couple of years now. One city's cold concrete was the same stone as another. Hard and unyielding, a durable monument to the life of its citizens.

A small, wry smile lifted her lips at that and she shrugged one shoulder.

"I wouldn't usually be here during such a busy time, but I was trying to reach an indoor shooting range that allows archery." She replied, seeing no harm in explaining where she was going so long as she didn't mention where she had come from. She fell quiet again and studied the man, Sylus he'd said his name was. Her blue eyes were sharp but unseen behind her tinted goggles, just as her ears picked up snippets of conversation from people passing the alley even through her heavy headphones.

It was impossible to tell what Ari was thinking behind the heavily tinted lenses of her eyewear. The young lady's dark attire hid her emotions and intentions as easily as it did her skin. At least her mouth remained visible, raising up in a small smile that did not get past Sylus's analytical gaze. Ari's attitude and wardrobe made a decent social mask, but at least there were still faults in her well planned defense. Still, some part of her showed an air of confidence, a bit of pride that added to her air of mystery. Soot guessed this was only one weapon in her arsenal.

He knew better than most that things like deceit and mystery were tools just like any other. They just crafted human response instead of inanimate material. Playing with others emotions as well as ones own could grant a level of control that most ignored or were oblivious to. Mystery made you unpredictable. People paid attention to a man that showed no emotion or agenda. Sometimes even feared him. Everyone is afraid of the possibilities of the unknown.

Aria was giving information bit by bit. She was cautious with her knowledge and her trust. An admirable and useful quality. After all knowledge is power and trust is occasionally a liabilty. She mentioned her destination: a shooting range. Not the likely answer from a girl her age. Even more odd she chose to go for archery. Choosing a bow and arrow over gunpowder and a barrel.

"Archery? Little outdated isn't it? Most people use these new things called guns. More bang for your buck, literally."

Soot lifted the cigar to his lips and flicked a bic to life. He puffed near silently until the tip was hot and fuming properly. He breathed out in a perfect ring, not hard given his god-given talents. Glancing once more at her large headgear, Sylus removed the stogie from his mouth and spoke again.

"Unless thats what your hoping to avoid." He said, pointing to her ear implements with his cigar. His tone stayed casual. No need to sound like he was fishing for information.