Lovely Ladies~ [Closed to earthling]

[sbeeg]

~Lovely ladies waitin' for
a bite waitin' for the
customers that
only come at night~

The sun is just meeting the horizon and my day has yet to begin. There really isn't any use going out during the day, all the action is at night. Even with the sun dipping from view it's hot, of course that's better for me. It's hard to be skimpy in the winter after all. Leaning against the side of an abandoned warehouse, I'm ready for my work to begin. This is my warehouse and all those other girls know it. Watching the sun go down, I wait on my Usuals.

Sweat has formed a thin layer over my entire body and now I know it's going to be a long night. I glance down the streets, keeping an eye out for any of my boys. I turn to see if the sun has fully set when I see a silhouette walking towards me in the skinny line of sunlight still left in the day.

Pushing off the brick wall of the warehouse, I grin at him. Probably Charlie- he's usually the first one on weekdays. Walking forward to close the gap between us, with each step worry grew in my stomach. Features became clear- and so did that crisp white uniform that we are all taught to despise. I was about to make a run for it (I already have a strike you know), when I saw his face. It wasn't just any Peacekeeper patrolling my street- it was him.

It sounds childish, but this Peacekeeper has kind of been... the object of my affection for many years. He's just so handsome. The way his face settles into this chill, authoritative glare is enough to make anyone do a double take. However, I've been lucky enough to see him smile once before and it is fucking magical! It's nice to have a break from the men who crawl around the alleyways paying to get some.

So here he is, the Peacekeeper with the charm-birds-from-their-nest smile (whose name I don't know), in front of me and I see no reason to run anymore. Instead, I'm witnessing a chance in a lifetime. Besides, it's no secret that some Peacekeepers have been known to dish out the big bucks for a night.

Falling back into my usual calm demeanor, I give him "The Look." No man alive can resist "The Look" It is something I've perfected over the years. You have to tilt your head down slightly, look up at your prey and maybe lift an eyebrow. Perfection.

"Evening Officer, is there anything I could assist you with?" usually when I ease out pick ups like that I just want the guy's money but this one- I wanted to see what was hiding underneath that uniform. His face was gorgeous, there's no telling what everything else looks like. Plus, it's never a bad thing to be in a Peacekeeper's favor.

[Baby Wessex d9b [earthling]]

I look forward, to dying tonight, drinks till I'm myself,
life's harder every day

Locke digs his fingers beneath the band of his watch, scratching at the veins of his left arm. It is the perfect intersection point to remind him of what he's missing - free time and the one thing that makes his life tolerable. He pressed his nails to the flesh and when that doesn't work, rubs his rough fingertips over it. Nothing helps. He imagines using sandpaper - no, the shattered end of an iron rod. Yes, that might make the insistent, persistent feeling dissipate. That, or another hit, which really ought to be easier to find than broken metal, but his usual dealer was mysteriously absent, and he'd had to endure the company of a young, spunk Peacekeeper undoubtedly borne straight from the loins of Satan.

It was late enough. He had pulled his rank to get the good shifts, the ones during the daylight, so he could linger in a morphling coma while the world slept. The twilight is a harsher reminder than the time ticking away on his wrist. With a flick the watch disappears up his pristine white sleeve. Nothing to wreck it today; it had been utterly boring, which was probably why he was so desperate.

It was good, better even, when the itching became so bad it turned to pain. That he could use, and it never distracted him. His arm burned, the veins writhing, and it was pure relief. His steps slowed, evened, as he marched along the warehouses, doing his last round of duty and hoping to track down that little shithead who was supposed to be keeping him well supplied.

And then there she was. Locke spotted her before she him, and though he didn't know her personally, he wasn't a fool. He continued casually, steps clipped as a Peacekeeper's ought to be, his expression placid. He came to a halt with his toes perfectly aligned, his blue eyes boring into hers. Seduction whispered across her face, forced her eyebrow up. Hunger. That's all he felt.

"I think I ought to be the one offering you help." And it was not the least bit chivalrous. His job, just a job. But oh this would not be a job, not at all. This would be pleasure. There it was, spreading across his face, opening a smile that crooked too far to one side, promised everything. But it did not match his words. "But I can see you're quite capable of taking care of yourself. You have a good night now."

Locke tipped his chin, the smile swallowed up. Oh she was beautiful, still a little soft with youth, her skin so pale... it would show every bruise. His gaze lingered on her cheeks, her chin, for just a moment before he began to walk past her.

banner credit: bad nana rising
lyrics: adema giving in

[sbeeg]

~Lovely ladies
Waiting for the call
Standing up or lying down
Or any way at all~

"I think I ought to be the one offering you help."

Oh boy this would be fun. Taking in the Peacekeeper up close, he was better than anything my mind could have made up- of course it's not like I have high standards. He was older, obviously, but not grossly so. His hair was still completely dark, and his eyes- oh god his eyes were gorgeous. Drop dead beautiful. Staring into those blue eyes I could see everything he wanted and all the things I was desiring as well.

Then he smiled. Gah, this man could drive any woman berserk! A full out grin, cocking a little to the side. My feet were already moving forward, ready to throw my body at him.

"But I can see you're quite capable of taking care of yourself. You have a good night now."

The Peacekeeper's eyes lingered on my face before stepping around me. He was walking away from me? Oh no no no no. No one refuses Charlotte Blair, I have a reputation to keep up and a fire in my middle that needed to be tended to.

"Oh but sir, I do need help," I said, stepping to the side to block his path. Reaching forward, I wrapped my fingers around his hand. Large and calloused, they were the hands of man with experience. I pressed his palm against my chest, on the exposed skin above my heart. Not low enough for any satisfaction- I'm a professional not some new girl on the streets who doesn't know how to play a buyer- but enough of a contact to get their heart going. "Feel? Oh I must just faint! You should get me inside somewhere I can lay down."

If I said that was a new one I'd be lying, but it's one of the best hits in my arsenal and don't the loyal, hardworking officers of the Peacekeeper force deserve the best? Well, this one does.

[Baby Wessex d9b [earthling]]

I look forward, to dying tonight, drinks till I'm myself,
life's harder every day

He came to a halt just before Charlotte stepped into his path. Had he known she would do that, anticipated it? Surely. He was a damn find Peacekeeper, after all, and half the job was predicting what a criminal would next, or even the turn after that. Life was one chess game, and it always paid to be one step ahead, even if that meant coming to a stand still. He tucked one hand behind his back, just above his hips, and leaned slightly into her as she cut off his exit. The other dangled at his side, just to be scooped up by the brazen girl.

Locke hadn't really wanted to leave, anyhow. Her hand, her silken flesh, held him captivated for a moment. And then she guided his hand to her chest, to the flat ribby part of it, and he pressed his index finger to the cave between her collar bone and neck, felt the echo of her pulse there.

"Over ninety bee-pee-em," Locke said, more to himself than her. He stared at the pulse in her elegant neck, and then forced his gaze up to capture hers. He held that pose for just a minute, and then without breaking eye contact, rolled his wrist so that his fingers slid around her neck, gripping her tightly but not enough to bruise, just enough to control. "Perhaps I could take you home if it's close enough," And his voice had changed, now deepened, darker. He broke eye contact to glance back the way he had come. Would there be somewhere more suitable?

Probably not, but there would certainly be somewhere less suitable, and he couldn't really afford to sully his white uniform or his Peacekeeper status by being caught with her in an alley way. He needed to be more discreet. But oh, the width of her eyes, the narrowness of her hips, the musky scent of her - Locke didn't want to wait too long. He moved his hand up to brush her cheek with his thumb, rough flesh over smooth. "You're a bit flushed.

[/color]"[/size][/blockquote]

banner credit: bad nana rising
lyrics: adema giving in

[sbeeg]

~Long time short time
Any time, my dear
Cost a little extra if you
want to take all year!~

A grin spread across my face- I couldn't help it. Damn am I good. The Peacekeeper pressed his finger against my neck, and I help my hand onto his, snaking my fingers up his arms. Peacekeepers always know how to romance a gal.

"Over ninety bee-pee-em" he mumbled. I didn't really think all much of it- I was too busy watching his lips move and thinking how much better tonight is going to be compared to a night of just regulars. My gaze wandered up his face, taking in each part of it all over again until I was caught up in his eyes. They sure were special things- so blue, so captivating...

My fingers were at his elbow and my thoughts elsewhere when the Peacekeeper twisted his hand around my neck and pressed his fingers in on my throat. It happened so fast that I didn't have time to make a game out of it, my instincts flew into gear. My nails went straight to my imprisoned throat, grabbing at his hand until I forced them to stop. I'm never caught off guard but now that I have a certain vulnerability makes my shoulders hutch and my smug grin vanish.

"Perhaps I could take you home if it's close enough,"

It's always amazed me how a person can change in a split second, and if this moment taught me anything is that this guy just moved from the "Toy" list to the "Don't Mess With" list. He'd been staring right into my eyes and I'm sure he saw everything I was thinking at that moment before he turned around to examine the street which was deserted except for some pitiful excuses for men. His hand moved from my neck and I allowed myself to breath for the first time since he had claimed it. His fingers brushed against my cheek and my mind couldn't make up its mind of how it felt about it.

"You're a bit flushed." No shit.

I couldn't let this guy get to me- I have a reputation and a life I want to keep. Slipping my hand into the one that was at my check- mostly to keep it away from my neck- I stepped closer to the officer. My usual fluid movements had a nervous jerk to them but I didn't let it frazzle my thoughts. That was just a little obstacle in one long marathon- I'd get over it.

"You got a name?"

[Baby Wessex d9b [earthling]]

I look forward, to dying tonight, drinks till I'm myself,
life's harder every day

There was that moment, that flash of panic, which let Locke know he was doing his job properly. Except this really wasn't a part of his job - according to his guidelines, he should have moved on once he had assessed the girl and found her neither a danger to herself, others, or to the Capitol. But he wasn't about that to do that, not when she was so pale in the moonlight. Her eyes, too, the size of them -- he couldn't quite look away, not for long. He wanted to know what secrets they held, who else had been reflected in them. It was a bit like being a detective, reading her face, only he wouldn't use the easy tactics, because he had no reason to.

That was the difference between someone who fought crime for a living and a Peacekeeper. While Locke got paid to do his job (and got paid well), this was a career, and he approached it the same way he would have approached the Games -- with his whole heart and fire. Nothing was too dangerous or too dramatic for him. If he didn't like someone, he'd ship them off to the Detention Center, and if they really pissed him off, he might put the barrel of his Alder pistol to their temple.

Life meant so very little to him. He hadn't really thought about hurting her, but that brief flush of fear turned his thoughts down a darker road. Certainly he could overpower her; there was no victory in that. No, he wanted something that she wasn't selling and wasn't easy to get. He'd figure what that was out soon enough.

With a casual flick of his wrist, Locke released her, and used his other hand to adjust his shirt, tugging it back into place. He studied his cuff links for a moment, imprinted with the seal of Panem, before he turned towards liquid blue eyes back to her. "Peacekeeper Helmsby," he said with a smirk, as though it could be forgotten that he was a man of the Capitol, as though his white uniform didn't reflect and repel all light.

He held up a hand to halt the conversation. "Don't tell me yours, at least not your given name. What's a name you'd like to have? Anything you can think of." That was safer, less intimate, and it made him less responsible, too.

banner credit: bad nana rising
lyrics: adema giving in

[sbeeg]

Lovely lady!
What yer waiting for?
Doesn't take a lot of savvy
Just to be a whore
Come on, lady
What's a lady for?

This wasn't at all what I predicted when I saw that white uniform marching up with the sun at its back. I figure he'd be a dear and spare a girl some change for a quick one but this guy had something else on his mind. Once his hand left my skin, my feet automatically took a step back but I kept them from going any further. Whatever this guy had in mind, I would not run away from- Charlotte Blair is not the running type. Face it- I don't have the mindset or the legs to do it.

His eyes left me for a few moments to examine his uniform. Another step back- then his eyes flickered back up to me and I froze. "Peacekeeper Helmsby" Helmsby. Not a name I recognized. It was a word that I couldn't quite fit in my mouth- too many odd consonants all mashed together. Helmsby punctuated his name with a smirk that if it had been present two minutes ago I would have found charming but now it sent a shiver up my spine. My fingers stretched out in an attempt to keep them from shaking and I opened my mouth to revel my name.

Charlotte Blair is such a pretty name- and it's my real birth name. It's feminine but has a bit of a bite to it. Charlotte is the type of word you can pucker your lips to and wink with. So, naturally, I'm very proud to present it- even if it is to a psychopathy. My tongue was ready to flick out each letter when he held his hand up to stop me.

"Don't tell me yours, at least not your given name. What's a name you'd like to have? Anything you can think of."

A name I'd like to have? I've gotten some strange requests on this street at this time of night but a name I'd "like to have" has never been one of them. Pressing my lips together I looked at him and searched my brain for a title I liked more than my own name.

Well, I looked for one until I realized that he wouldn't know if I was lying or not- so to hell with a fake name. It's not like people don't already now it.

"How about Charlotte?" my voice was sturdy and seductive like it usually is without sadistic Peacekeepers trying to choke me. "I've always liked that name."

[Baby Wessex d9b [earthling]]

I look forward, to dying tonight, drinks till I'm myself,
life's harder every day

She had such wide, wondering eyes. If not for them, he might have walked away. Well, and her legs. And her skin. Pretty much the whole package, actually, but especially her eyes. The rest of her screamed her profession out loud, declared her as a girl of the night, but those eyes... they could deceive. They were so big and innocent. They could take away pain, suspend time, promise impossible things. He could use eyes like that, and when she turned them up to him, Locke couldn't help but grin. Ah yes, there were things he could use her for, other than a night's passing. He might even be able to find more respectable work.

But somehow, Locke doubted she was here because of hard times. A girl as lovely as she could undoubtedly found some sort of man to shelter her (or woman, if she chose). No, he rather thought this was voluntary, which was both better (it somehow made his motivations more innocent), and worse (because she was so willing). Still, he wanted her, for her eyes. They were well matched in that way. Blue on blue on blue. He wondered how they reflected off one another, almost wanted to march her in front of a camera just to see. But that would be bad for him, and so he wouldn't. But still, would they reflect so deeply into one another that an ocean would open between them?

It was a bit more poetic than Locke's usual line of thought, and it amused him that she brought out his intellectual side. A whore was a whore was a whore, and yet no other girl had been able to mirror his gaze so exactly. "Charlotte," he tested the name on his tongue, pressed it to the roof of his mouth. "It's a little long, don't you think? But if it's what you like, I'll make do." Because he was such a generous fellow, first forcing her to pick a name, and then quibbling about the one she chose. Charlotte. It was a girl's name, someone young and delicate. It wasn't quite what he'd had in mind for her. Maybe he'd just change it later.

He held his hands behind his back, his official Peacekeeper posture. It suited him. His shoulders swelled against the fabric, which gave him a bit of a top-heavy silhouette. The rest of it lay crisp and clean against his body. "You'll have to lead us from here. I'm afraid I'm not very familiar with this part of town." Which was mostly a lie, although it wasn't like he had often looked for private rooms if he hadn't been hellbent on busting someone. He'd much rather see what sort of locale she chose and maybe he would discover somewhere new to patrol.

banner credit: bad nana rising
lyrics: adema giving in

[sbeeg]

~Lovely Lady
Fastest on the street
Wasn't there three minutes
she wasn't back up on her feet~

"Charlotte" hearing my name come form his lips sent a little shiver up my spine. His voice was so different than all my Usuals- it was authoritative and confident- completely opposite from most of the men that come snooping around the corners at night. This is someone who can make a simple word, like my name, into something that'd make your toes curl. A special talent I still can't seem to perfect. "It's a little long, don't you think? But if it's what you like, I'll make do."

Long? It's only two syllables- whatever. Officer Helmsby put his hands behind his back making him look like every other Peacekeeper in the District- just a heck of a lot more attractive than most. The white material was taunt across his chest giving a very dominate look about him. A lot of men want that look so badly and it seemed to come so naturally to my Peacekeeper companion.

"You'll have to lead us from here. I'm afraid I'm not very familiar with this part of town." Raising an eyebrow slightly, I pressed my lips into a smile. I have him now. I got him. Finally feeling it was safe to do so, I turned my back on him and started down the sidewalk thinking of a place to go.

"I think I have just the place for you," I said playfully over my shoulder. The building in mind had, at one time, been one of the busiest Peacekeeper offices in the District, then the neighborhood went to shit and they moved their operations elsewhere. The once white building but now more of a chipped, graffiti covered mess was only a block over and I led the way to it, all the while very conscience of the Peacekeeper at my back.

"So, Officer Helmsby, do you have a first name?" I asked, not exactly liking the way Helmsby rolled off my tongue- it didn't roll at all. It took a lot of effort to just get the word out, much less make it fancy.